Absence of IgG lymphocytotoxins in untreated Hodgkin's disease (HD) patients

Six of twenty-three sera (26%) from patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) contained IgG antibody with an affinity for human lymphocytes and lymphoblastoid cell lines. All sera were negative for complement-dependent and antibody-mediated cell cytotoxicity against human lymphoid cells irrespective of their binding capacity. It is suggested that the antilymphocyte antibodies seen in HD are not of pathogenic significance but are a non-specific consequence of B-cell stimulation.