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Immunological Defects in Healthy Twin Siblings to Patients with Hodgkin's Disease
Author(s) -
Björkholm M.,
Holm G.,
Faire U.,
Mellstedt H.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0036-553X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1977.tb01491.x
Subject(s) - phytohaemagglutinin , pokeweed mitogen , lymphocyte , immunology , concanavalin a , antigen , immunodeficiency , medicine , disease , biology , immune system , genetics , in vitro
We studied the immunocompentence of 6 healthy twins, whose monozygotic or dizygotic same‐sexed twin partner had died from Hodgkin's disease. Lymphocyte DNA synthesis induced by concanavalin A was markedly reduced at 3 different concentrations in all twins compared to an age‐matched group of healthy controls. The lymphocyte response to pokeweed mitogen and to phytohaemagglutinin was also impaired. PPD induced lymphocyte DNA synthesis was low in 3 twins and correlated well with their delayed skin hypersensitivity to the antigen. One twin was completely anergic to 3 different skin antigens. The mean total blood lymphocyte count did not differ from that of controls. There was no change in T‐ or B‐lymphocyte subpopula‐tions. The presence of a functional lymphocyte deficiency in all twins strongly suggests that the immunodeficiency in Hodgkin's disease is partly caused by genetic and/or environmental factors.