Immunologic parameters in histiocytosis-X
摘要
The immunocompetence of six infants with the clinical form of Letterer-Siwe disease and seven older children in various phases of histiocytosis was evaluated. In most of the patients, delayed hypersensitivity, lymphocyte blastogenesis to mitogens and allogeneic cells, bactericidal killing, and leukocyte nitroblue tetrozolium dye reduction were found to be within normal limits. One patient with the infantile form of histiocytosis and one older child could not be sensitized to DNFB. The lymphocytes from two infants were hyporeactive to mitogeninduced stimulation. This reverted to normal after chemotherapy was instituted. Decreased immunoglobulin levels were found in two infants. Several patients exhibited elevated immunoglobulin levels. In general, the immunologic abnormalities improved following chemotherapy. No evidence of a combined immunodeficiency disorder was found in either group of patients. It is felt that the immunologic abnormalities which were found were either secondary to malignant cell replacement rather than an underlying cause of the disease.