Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: cytotoxic T lymphocyte mediated activity correlated with histopathological classification and staging.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) constitute a heterogeneous group of lymphoid tumors and a majority of them in India are of B-cell phenotype. It has been postulated that immunoregulatory dysfunctions may be involved in the pathogenesis of NHL. Hence, peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from twenty six untreated patients were assessed for cytotoxic T lymphocyte mediated (CTL) activity in 51Cr release assay. Patients were classified according to Revised European American Lymphoma classification. B-cell small lymphocytic lymphoma patients showed lower CTL activity than NHL patients of other histopathological subtypes and healthy individuals. Diffuse large B cell lymphomas showed CTL activity comparable to healthy individuals. However, within the same histopathological subgroup, the CTL activity did not correlate with the stage of the patients.