An immunohistological study of the cellular constituents of Hodgkin's disease using a monoclonal antibody panel.

Cryostat sections of lymphoid tissue from 44 cases of Hodgkin's disease were analysed by immunoperoxidase staining using a panel of monoclonal antibodies which included reagents reactive with T cells and their subsets, B cells, HLA-DR, Ig, dendritic reticulum cells and C3b receptor. A wide spectrum of immunohistological patterns was observed ranging from cases in which T cells were numerous (B cells being absent or present in only small numbers) to cases in which very prominent B cell follicles were present. These follicles contained a meshwork of dendritic reticulum cells and were composed of polyclonal B cells (as assessed by light chain expression). T cells were present in small numbers within these B cell follicles, often clustered in a thin rim around individual Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin's cells. All B cell-rich cases were examples of lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin's disease. Assessment of the T cell helper/suppressor ratios was hindered by the fact that both anti-helper antibodies (OKT4 and anti-Leu 3a) reacted with macrophages. However the majority of cases appeared to contain a normal excess of T helper cells. HLA-DR was strongly expressed in T cell rich areas, on Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin's cells, on vascular endothelium and on numerous infiltrating cells in the fibrous tissue areas in cases of nodular sclerosing disease. Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin's cells were not labelled by either anti-fibronectin or by antibodies reactive with dendritic reticulum cells (anti-C3b receptor and antibody R4/23).