Impaired Cell-Mediated Immunity in Hodgkin's Disease Mediated by Suppressor Lymphocytes and Monocytes

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Abstract

In Hodgkin's disease a possible mechanism for impaired cellular immunity is cell-mediated suppression, defined as the inhibitory interaction between suppressor cells and effector lymphocytes. To test for the presence of suppressor cells in peripheral blood, we have modified the standard, one-way mixed lymphocyte culture by adding mitomycin C-treated mononuclear cells from the responder. Suppression, expressed as a percent of the base-line mixed lymphocyte culture in which these extra cells are not present, results in a reduction of thymidine incorporated in the modified culture (i.e., 100% suppression = no net thymidine incorporation; 0% suppression = identical thymidine incorporation in both the modified and baseline culture).

Authors

Stephen M. Hillinger, Geoffrey P. Herzig