No abstract

An immunoproliferative disorder with M component lgD/_λand a strong decrease of the other Ig classes in the serum is reported. The peculiarity of this disorder consists in the shift from a predominant chronic lymphocytic leukaemic pattern, at the beginning, to a true myeloma with plasmacytic leukaemia IgD/_λ several months later. The possibility of the removal, in this case, of the initial precocious block with derepression or ‘switch on’ in transformation of the malignant lymphocyte clone and, consequently, change of a type of malignant lymphoma into another more evoluted and more malignant type is discussed.

A case of splenic large B-cell lymphoma with hemophagocytic syndrome is reported. The difficulties of diagnosis are emphasized especially when peripheral lymph nodes or bone marrow lymphomatous infiltration are not present. Diagnostic criteria for hemophagocytic syndrome and their relationship with the pathogenesis of the disease are also stressed.

Lymphocytic populations and T cell subsets were studied in the blood of patients with nonleukemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A statistically significant decrease of both the T lymphocytes and the OKT4-, OKT8-binding cells was detected in low-grade malignant lymphomas (LGML). A significant decrease of the T cell population and of the OKT4-binding cells was also found in high-grade malignant lymphomas (HGML); in these, the OKT8-binding cells were not lowered. The amount of the circulating B lymphocytes was not found to be altered both in HGML and in LGML.

A case of complete spontaneous remission of CLL in a 76-year-old woman is reported. Despite the complete remission, the study of the peripheral blood T lymphocytic subsets by the aid of monoclonal antibodies has showed, however, that the ratio between helper-induced and suppressor cytotoxic T cells is still impaired (0.81) as we can see in overt B-CLL. The cause of the remission and its possible connection with the imbalanced distribution of the T lymphocytic subsets is discussed.