AUTOIMMUNE PHENOMENA IN NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

In order to obtain valid data on the pattern, frequency and prognostic significance of autoimmune derangements in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NH L) we studied 626 consecutive adult NHL patients participating in a po pulation-based lymphoma registry. A total of 86 patients, correspondin g to 13.7%, showed autoimmune phenomena (AP). Of these, 7.8% exhibited clinical autoimmune phenomena (CAP), and 5.9% showed immunohaematolog ical phenomena (IHP). The distribution of histological subgroups of NH L in the AP and non-AP patients was similar. The same holds true for t he CAP and IHP patients. A slight, non-significant overrepresentation of NHL, T-cell phenotype was found in patients with AP. CAP preceded t he diagnosis of NHL in most patients, whereas IHP was associated with active lymphoma disease. AP as a whole did not predict for time to com plete response, time to relapse or for survival. The finding that IHP patients relapsed earlier than CAP patients was not reflected in a sig nificant difference in survival.