THE CAUSATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYMPHOGRANULOMATOSIS (HODGKIN'S DISEASE) AND BRUCELLOSIS (UNDULANT FEVER)

摘要

1. Cases of autopsy and biopsy are reported in which brucellal infection are proved, based chiefly on the positive thermoprecipitation reaction of tissues, aided by the parallel coincidence of positive serum agglutination against brucella. These cases have been diagnosed Hodkin's disease, reticulum cell sarcoma, polymorphocellular reticulum cell sarcoma and giant follicular lymphoma. In one autopsy case of Hodgkin's disease Brucella suis has been cultured from the spleen.2. The thermoprecipitation test of the tissues against antibrucella immune rabbit serum and the serum agglutination against brucella have been proved to be positive both with the cases of Hodgkin's disease and with the guinea pigs infected experimentally with brucella. In addition Brucella suis has been cultured from a case of Hodgkin's disease. Moreover significant resemblance in histological features are shown both in Hodgkin's disease and in the experimentally infected guinea pigs with brucella.3. In several cases of reticulum cell sarcomas and a case of giant follicular lymphoma the thermoprecipitation reaction of the tissues against antibrucella immune rabbit sera and the serum agglutination reaction against brucella have been also proved to be positive, indicating almost conclusively the infection with brucella.4. The foregoing facts lead us to believe that the causative agent of Hodgkin's disease is brucellal infection, and even reticulum cell sarcoma and giant follicular lymphoma might also have the same causative relationship with brucellal infection. We believe the important role played in the production of apparently different diseases by infection of brucella, namely Morbus Bang on one hand, and Hodgkin's disease on the other, are due to the species of brucella infected and the allergic state of disease. As to the solutions of the problem of blastomatous characters of reticulum cell sarcoma and giant follicular lymphoma it has to be depended on further studies in future.