Immunologic basis for the redefinition of malignant lymphomas.

As neoplasms of the immune system, lymphomas can be characterized by a variety of immunologic technics. These technics, used in conjunction with morphology and cytochemistry, have promoted the development of lymphoma classifications which relate more closely to our current understanding of the anatomy and function of the immune system than earlier classifications. This brief review of the development and function of the immune system and discussion of technics used in distinguishing B and T lymphocytes is intended to provide background and perspective for the other papers presented in this symposium.