Reversal of cell surface abnormalities of T lymphocytes in hodgkin's disease after in vitro incubation in fetal sera.

The capacity of periphal blood lymphocytes from patients with untreated Hodgkin's disease to form E rosettes with sheep erythrocytes and to respond in vitro to PHA stimulation were found to be profoundly impaired. In 49% of the patients, the percentage of E rosette-forming cells (E-RFC) was more than two standard deviations below the mean for normal donors. Overnight incubation of the peripheral blood lymhocytes from these patients in culture media containing 20% fetal calf serum was followed by restoration of the percentage of E-RFC up to normal levels. Similar results have been observed after incubation in fetal human serum, but not in adult human AB serum or adult bovine serum. Incubation of peripheral blood lymphocytes from untreated patients in20% fetal calf serum also resulted in a remarkable restoration of their capacity to respond normally to PHA. Possible mechanisms involved in these reversible cell surface and in vitro lymphocyte function abnormalities in Hodgkin's disease are discussed.