Serum immunoglobulins and lymphocyte transformation studies in coeliac disease.

Several reports have now appeared of an increased incidence of disorders of the lymphoreticular system in coeliac disease. These disorders have ranged from splenic atrophy Furthermore an association with hypo- gammoglobulinaemia (Huizenga, Wollaeger, Green, and McKenzie, 1961) and more recently with specific deficiencies of the immunoglobulins IgA Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-induced lym- phocyte transformation has been found to be defective in some malignant disorders of the lympho- reticular system such as Hodgkin's disease (Hersh and Oppenheim, 1965), giant follicular lymphoblastoma, and reticulosarcoma (Hirschhorn, Schreibman, Bach, and Siltzbach, 1964).