Lymphopenia: a bad prognostic factor in Hodgkin's disease.

Pretreatment peripheral blood lymphocyte counts have been recorded in 181 consecutive untreated patients with histologically proven Hodgkin's disease and the patients followed prospectively to determine the relationship of lymphopenia to survival. Lymphocyte counts at presentation did not correspond with histology type but were lower in stage 4 disease. Survival in the 77 patients with lymphocyte counts of less than 1.5 X 10(9)/l was 49.7% which was significantly worse (P less than 0.0001) than the 74.2% survival of those with 'normal' counts. This difference was maintained even after adjustment for other acknowledged prognostic variables including sex, age, stage, symptom status, histology type, and response to treatment. The study provides evidence that the lymphocyte count can be used as a meaningful marker in the clinical staging of Hodgkin's disease.

Use of the Hemalog D automated leucocyte differential counter in the diagnosis and therapy of leukaemia.

Of 46 adult patients with active leukaemia whose white cells were examined using a Hemalog D automated differential leucocyte counter, 45 showed abnormalities indicative of their disease, and the odd one out would not have been missed due to associated thrombocytopenia. Sequential studies while on chemotherapy allowed rapid and accurate neutrophil counts to be performed even in the presence of profound leucopenia and the re-emergence of blast cells in some cases was detected 2--3 weeks earlier than by microscopy. These findings indicate that the Hemalog D is reliable in the detection and can be useful in the follow-up of patients with leukaemia.