Abstract
Because of the recent interest aroused by Frei 1 in demonstrating a diagnostic skin reaction to the whole extracts of glands in the virus disease lymphogranulomatosis (4th venereal disease) it was decided to observe the skin reactions on patients with Hodgkin's disease to the extracts of Hodgkin's diseased glands. Although the etiology of this disease remains obscure there are some 2 who believe it may be due to a virus. Skin reactions can be obtained with the extract of skin lesions in small pox and vaccinia, a virus disease.
The injection of filtrates of Hodgkin's glands has been used in treatment of the disease but the skin reactions to these filtrates have not been described adequately. Skin reactions to a preparation from Hodgkin's diseased glands were reported as negative in 3 cases by Fox and Farley. 3
Here we are further recording the negative results obtained in 11 patients with Hodgkin's disease treated by Roentgen ray in whom the diagnosis was assured by biopsy. All but one patient showed a skin reaction of only a few millimeters, similar to that seen in normal persons. In this one the control, saline and 0.3% tricresol measured 0.5 cm. and the unheated extract measured 1.0 by 1.5 cm. at 24 hours, but after 48 hours measured 1-2 mm.
Extracts were made from the lymph nodes of an untreated case of Hodgkin's in the third month of the disease and also from a case of lymphosarcoma. The clinical course of these cases has verified the histological diagnosis. The fresh nodes were extracted with saline, centrifuged and 0.3% tricresol added to the cloudy, supernatant fluid. One-half of this was heated for an hour at 60°C. on 2 successive days. The final extract was not filtered.
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