Family distribution of lymphocytotoxins in Hodgkin's disease.

The prevalence of lymphocytotoxic antibody was studied in 131 relatives of 10 patients with Hodgkin's disease. The study group contained nine families, five of which had two subjects with Hodgkin's disease. One hundred twenty-eight control family members were studied in parallel. Lymphocytotoxic antibody was present in 35.5% of all family members of patients with Hodgkin's disease, and in 8.6% of controls (P less than 0.01). Lymphocytotoxic antibody appeared primarily in consanguineous relatives irrespective of close personal household contact with the probands. The prevalence of the antibody was equal in both first- and second-degree relatives. These findings suggest at least a genetic and possibly an environmental influence in the genesis of lymphocytotoxic antibody among relatives of patients with Hodgkin's disease.