Articles

CIRCULATION AND EMIGRATION KINETICS OF BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES IN LYMPHOMA PATIENTS

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Abstract

In 6 groups of patients [controls (N) with localized solid tumors, untreated or irradiated patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD), irradiated patients with seminoma testis (STI and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or another leukaemic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)], representing a total of 31 patients characterized by different percentages of blood B cells, the circulation and emigration kinetics of each patients' blood lymphocyte population have been studied by their autologous retransfusion after in vitro labelling with ³H-cytidine and by simultaneous lymph drainage of a peripheral afferent lymph vessel of the lower leg.

The neoplastic B lymphocytes of the patients with leukaemic NHL exhibited similar increased recovery values in the blood because of prolonged blood transit times and an impaired exchange with extravascular lymphocyte pools; furthermore, a reduced fraction of these leukaemic B lymphocytes has been recovered in the lymph. In contrast, the irradiated patients with ST showed diminished and with HD normal recovery values in the blood, although in both: groups of irradiated patients increased fractions of 45% respectively 34% blood B lymphocytes have' been determined. On the other hand, lower than the expected numbers of autotransfused lymphocytes appeared in the periopheral lymph of the two groups of HD-patients and of the ST-patients.

Because no B lymphocytes have been observed in the peripheral lymph of all patients studied, the discrepancy between the lymphocyte recovery data in the blood and those in the peripheral lymph of HD-patients as well as of the ST-patients is taken to indicate that in these patients not only the T lymphocytes but also a fraction of the B cells emigrated from the blood, but may remain in the interstitium, since B cells do not reach the lymph. Furthermore, for each of the 6 groups of patients it could be demonstrated that in contrast to B lymphocytes only the blood T lymphocytes are able to recirculate via peripheral lymphatics thereby also indicating a normal in vivo function of these blood T lymphocytes even in the patients with leukaemic B cell NHL.

How to Cite:

Bremer, K., Engeset, A. & Froland, S., (1978) “CIRCULATION AND EMIGRATION KINETICS OF BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES IN LYMPHOMA PATIENTS”, Lymphology 11(4), 231-237.