Comparative flow immunophenotypic features of the inflammatory infiltrates of Hodgkin lymphoma and lymphoid hyperplasia

Abstract

The cellular composition of the reactive lymphocytic infiltrate in HL differs significantly from that seen in RLH, with significant differences also noted between HL subtypes. In general, the HL infiltrate contains increased T cells (CD4+ and NKT subsets), decreased B cells, and increased regulatory T cells in comparison with RLH. The major difference between HL subtypes is decreased CD4+ T cells in MCHL as compared with NSHL and NLPHL. The most notable EBV-related difference in NSHL is increased regulatory T cells in EBV negative cases. While many differences in the reactive lymphocytic infiltrate of Hodgkin lymphoma and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia were identified, the sole difference that may prove to be of differential diagnostic value in flow cytometric analysis of HL versus RLH is the increased percentage of CD4+ bright CD25+ regulatory T cells in HL.