title: Total serum haemolytic complement activity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and plasma fibrinogen as indicators of the stage in Hodgkin's disease.
abstract: Total serum haemolytic complement activity, plasma fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and other biological values in forty-three patients with Hodgkin's disease were correlated with results of staging. A highly significant increase (P=10(-5)) of the mean total serum haemolytic complement activity was found in stages IIIA and IVA and in all stages with systemic symptoms. The complement activity in patients with less extensive disease without systemic symptoms (stages IA and IIA) did not show a significant increase over the controls. The best initial parameters correlating well with disease activity were complement activity, ESR and fibrinogen level. It is concluded that total serum haemolytic complement activity gives additional information and can be helpful in differentiating between favourable and unfavourable forms of Hodgkin's disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000502:physiology*; D006461:Hemolysis; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D005340:Fibrinogen; D003165:Complement System Proteins