Immunologic parameters in childhood Hodgkin's disease II. T and B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of normal children and in the spleen and peripheral blood of children with Hodgkin's disease.

A study of peripheral blood lymphocyte populations in 27 children with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 13 age-matched control subjects is presented. The absolute numbers and percentages of T and B lymphocytes identified by their surface marker characteristics were determined. In addition, in 13 HD children the percentages of T and B lymphocytes were estimated in the spleens removed at staging laparotomy. No differences were observed between the total peripheral blood lymphocyte counts of HD and control children, and we found no evidence of progressive lymphopenia with advancing stages of the disease. No decrease in the numbers of peripheral blood T lymphocytes was seen in this group of HD children. In contrast, the proportions and absolute numbers of B lymphocytes tended to be significantly lower in the children with HD than in the control subjects. In 9 of the 13 spleens studied high percentages of T lymphocytes were seen; low percentage of B lymphocytes were found in all spleens examined.