In situ immunologic characterization of cellular constituents in lymph nodes and spleens involved by Hodgkin's disease

The cellular constituents in lymph nodes and spleens of patients with Hodgkin's disease were studied with a series of monoclonal antibodies directed against human thymocyte, peripheral T-cell, and Ia antigens. Utilizing both an immunoperoxidase technique on frozen tissue sections and indirect immunofluorescence on cell suspensions, we found that a majority of lymphocytes were T cells, since they stained with anti-T1 and anti-T3 antibodies, which react with all peripheral T cells. In addition, most of these cells were reactive with anti-T4 antibody, which defines the helper/inducer T-cell population, whereas only a minority of cells stained with anti-T5 and anti-T8 antibodies, which are reactive with suppressor/cytotoxic T cells. Moreover, a large proportion of T cells expressed T10 antigen, which is found on activated T cells. A minority of the T cells also expressed Ia antigen(s), again suggesting that some of the T cells are activated. In contrast, the Reed-Sternberg cells did not react with any of these anti-T-cell antibodies or with anti-IgM antiserum, but displayed strong membrane and cytoplasmic staining with anti-Ia antibody. Taken together, these findings suggest that Reed-Sternberg cells are not of T-cell lineage but may be derived from antigen-presenting reticulum cells in the thymus-dependent areas of lymphoid tissues; these cells are normally associated with T4⁺ cells.