Monocyte activation in patients with Hodgkin's disease.

Transglutaminase activity in monocytes and serum lysozyme level were tested in 40 patients with Hodgkin's disease and were found to be significantly increased. Transglutaminase activity in monocytes from patients in a clinically active stage of the disease was higher than in clinically inactive cases of HD, and varied along with the histological subtypes. Serum lysozyme varied with the stage of the disease and with the symptomatology as well as with the histological subtype. The enzyme activities were higher before any treatment than after. A parallel increase of transglutaminase activity in monocytes and of serum lysozyme level suggests an elevated activity of the mononuclear phagocyte system in Hodgkin's disease.