CIRCULATION AND EMIGRATION KINETICS OF BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES IN LYMPHOMA PATIENTS

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 und 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.