Lymphocyte subpopulations in Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the effects of radiotherapy.

Examination of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma revealed depressed ratios of helper/suppressor T-cells, assessed with monoclonal antibodies OKT4 and 8. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease patients studied from 1 to 204 months following treatment by radiotherapy also demonstrated depressed ratios, although the patients were clinically free of disease. The failure of the helper T-cells to recover following apparently successful treatment suggests that either the initial disease or the radiotherapy produces a virtually irreversible effect on T-cell subpopulations. Treated Hodgkin's disease patients also exhibited a long term increase in B-cell numbers but this effect could be correlated with splenectomy performed during staging laparotomy.