Serum and urinary monoclonal immunoglobulins in Hodgkin's disease. Report of two cases.

Two patients with histologically unequivocal Hodgkin's disease (HD) (lymphocyte-depleted type, stage IIIA, and mixed cellularity variety, stage IVA) were found to have, respectively, a serum IgGk M-component and pure Bence Jones proteinuria of the lambda type. Unlike most of the previously reported patients with HD-associated monoclonal gammopathy (MG), they had simultaneous occurrence of HD and M-components, and no evidence of concurrent multiple myeloma or any other related B-lymphoproliferative disorder was found either at presentation or at postmortem examination. Both M-components were demonstrated before starting any cytotoxic treatment, and their appearance was unrelated to other disorders which may be associated with persistent antigenic overstimulation. In both patients the size of the M-components was reduced significantly by treatment for HD. Such findings make these patients of interest for exploring the significance of the coexistence of HD with MG.