Imbalance of T cell subpopulations in peripheral blood of children with non‐Hodgkin malignant lymphoma

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 13 children with newly diagnosed untreated non‐Hodgkin malignant lymphoma were investigated for the proportion of Tμ and Tγ cells. Tumor involvement was classified as stage II in two patients, stage III in five patients, and stage IV in six patients. Diffuse poorly differentiated lymphoblastic histological‐type lymphomas, as defined by the Rappaport classification, were found in eight patients. The proportion of Tγ cells was found to be increased and that of Tμ cells decreased in the patient group as compared to levels in healthy controls. A marked imbalance of the Tμ/Tγ ratio was observed in ten of 13 patients. There was no correlation between Tμ/Tγ ratios and stage of the disease. Imbalances of Tμ and Tγ cell proportions are discussed in relation to humoral and cellular immunodeficiencies observed in patients with non‐Hodgkin malignant lymphoma.