Serum Alpha-1-Acid-Glycoprotein, Haptoglobin and C₃ in Hodgkin’s Disease

Abstract

107 determinations of α₁-acid-glycoprotein (α₁S), haptoglobin (Hp) and complement fraction 3 (C₃) were made in 85 consecutive patients with Hodgkin’s disease, both in acute phase (77 measurements) and in complete remission (30 measurements). Only α₁S and Hp showed much higher levels in untreated disease than in remission, and elevation of α₁S in activity of the disease is correlated to advanced stages and – less significantly – to severe histology. The ability of α₁S, Hp and C₃ to discriminate between activity and remission was compared with that of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), α₁S-globulinaemia (α₂), fibrinogen-aemia (Fb), plasma copper (Cu) and iron (Fe), all data being collected at the same point in time in each patient. The well-known discrimination ability of combined Cu and Fe (75%) can be further improved by α₁S (81%) much more than by Hp, C₃, ESR, α₂and Fb singly computed and nearly up to the maximum allowed by the eight indexes together (82%).

Lymphomas in pregnancy

“…Several studies, in fact, have shown that there was no difference in survival between women who have had a therapeutic abortion compared with those who have not 12–14 . A higher incidence of advanced stage cases has been found during pregnancy, 15–17 probably because the early signs of HL such as fatigue, vomiting, abdominal pain may be superimposed on the discomforts of pregnancy 17 . Furthermore, in a large Swedish population study, the incidence of HL after the first 6 months after delivery seemed to be higher, probably because the disease was diagnosed only after the end of pregnancy 15 …”