title: Immune reactions in classical Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: The immune reaction in classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) can be separated into an inflammatory response in the involved tissues and a generalized immune response in the patient. The local immune reaction in HL is by far the most prominent among all tumors, with the exception of so called T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma, a subtype of large-cell B-cell lymphoma. The general immune response in patients with HL is best described as an acquired cellular immune deficiency, most likely a result of the presence of tumor, although some data in the literature suggest a preexisting immune deficiency. The cellular origin of Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells in classical and nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL is discussed elsewhere. RS cells and their mononuclear variants can be considered as clones of neoplastic B cells that, by secreting potent cytokines/chemokines, not only cause the symptoms of HL but also promote their own growth and evade immune surveillance. The characteristic histologic features of HL--the prominent inflammatory response, the influx of eosinophils, and the presence of fibrosis and sclerosis--may also result from the expression of a range of surface molecules and the production of cytokines and chemokines by RS cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poppema
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Potters
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Emmens
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van den Berg
mesh_terms: D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D010641:Phenotype; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000821:virology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000821:virology