The influence of splenectomy on the invitro lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen in Hodgkin's disease.

Using tissue culture techniques, the 14C-thymidine incorporation of peripheral lymphocytes in 17 Hodgkin's patients was tested before and after splenectomy under stimulation with phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed. Incorporation under phytohemagglutinin stimulation about 10 days after splenectomy was not affected in Hodgkin's patients with pathologic Stages I and II, but was significantly (p less than 0.005) increased in those with Stages III and IV. The total PHA stimulation potency, i.e. the product of the lymphocyte count and PHA stimulation, increased slightly in both groups. Incorporation under pokeweed stimulation after splenectomy did not significantly differ from that before the operation in the two groups. Although the number of cases studied is rather small, it is concluded that splenectomy causes no demonstrable untoward effect on the cellular immunologic potency. The immunologic state is more likely to be favorably influenced than unfavorably.