Immunologic function of patients with chronic benign lymphadenopathy.

Three children with chronic lymphoid hyperplasia and hypergamma-globulinemia are presented. They had normal numbers of circulating T-cells and normal in vitro lymphocyte responses to phytohemagglutinin and specific mitogens. The number of cells staining for surface immunoglobulins was decreased in two patients but increased in one patient with chronic lymphocytosis which is still present 5 years after his initial hospitalization. Lymphocytes without detectable markers ("Null cells") were increased in all three patients. Levels of antibody titers to common antigens were normal. Lymph node biopsies showed nonspecific hyperplasia of the B-cell areas. The combination of normal immune responses with lymphoid hyperplasia and with a chronic lymphocytosis in one of the children suggests that this syndrome may be due to a defect in the regulation rather than the initiation of immune responses.