Cytomegalovirus-specific immune response and the cellular immune status of malignant lymphoma

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific immune responses and the general cellular immune status of 24 untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 22 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) were evaluated in comparison with matched controls. The incidence of antibodies against CMV-induced early (EA) or late (LA) antigens was not different between patients and controls. LA antibody titres were markedly lower in the lymphoma patients (p = 0.01), especially in the NHL subgroup (p = 0.008), but not in HD patients. EA antibody titre levels were not significantly different between patients and controls. CMV-specific lymphocyte reactivity (LR) was impaired in LA seropositive--and even more so in EA seropositive--lymphoma patients. General cellular immunity tested with LR to mitogens and an antigen cocktail was more disturbed in HD patients (only PWM-LR normal) than in NHL patients (only Con A-LR disturbed). The percentage of circulating T lymphocytes was markedly lowered (less than 60%) in only 2 HD and 4 NHL patients. The impairment of CMV-LR was not directly related to the general cellular immune status of the patients. It appeared furthermore to be virus-specific when it was compared with LR to Epstein-Barr virus antigen. The impairment of CMV-specific immunity in lymphoma patients probably reflects a defect of the immunological defence against endogenous CMV. This defect apparently, occurs early in the course of illness before the general cellular immune status has deteriorated and it may have a pathogenetic significance for lymphoid malignancies.