Hodgkin disease: malignancy, inflammation and abnormal immunity.

The effect of Hodgkin disease cells on the surrounding environment is complex. In the light of recent findings on growth factors and oncogenes a hypothesis on Hodgkin disease is presented. The interrelation of three main features of Hodgkin disease: malignancy, inflammation and abnormal immunity may be explained by the local secretion of platelet-derived growth factor like substances and interleukin-1 like substances by malignant Hodgkin disease cells.