Blood lymphocyte functions in relation to splenic weight and tumor involvement in untreated Hodgkin's disease

Spontaneous and mitogen induced blood lymphocyte DNA synthesis was studied in relation to weight and tumor involvement of the spleen in 33 untreated patients with Hodgkin's Disease. Splenic tumor involvement was found in 14 patients. In this group there was a strong inverse correlation between spleen weight and lymphocyte DNA synthesis induced by PWM, ConA and PPD. In patients with uninvolved spleens the spontaneous blood lymphocyte DNA synthesis increased with spleen weight. No correlation with the mitogen response was observed in this group.