Neutrophil function in advanced Hodgkin's disease: effect of therapy

Whole-blood techniques were used to study neutrophil migration and uptake and killing of Candida in patients with advanced (Stages IIIB and IV) Hodgkin's disease (HD). In order to assess the effect of therapy on neutrophil function, 17 patients were studied either before treatment or on days 1, 8 and 14 of successive cycles of chemotherapy. Neutrophil migration was reduced in 20% of patients, and was largely corrected by normal control plasma. Phagocytosis was normal but killing was reduced in most patients; this reduced killing was not corrected by normal control plasma. Neither chemotherapy nor previous splenectomy had any effect on neutrophil function. It is concluded that defective neutrophil killing, attributable to an intrinsic defect of the cell, is a consistent feature of advanced HD and that a similar defect is present before and after therapy.