Cellular Renewal Kinetics of Malignant Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas

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Abstract
To maintain the cellularity of the human lymphatic system at its normal level, the rates of lymphocyte production and death apparently must be equal. This steady-state equilibrium is the result of complex regulatory mechanisms of the micro- and macroenvironment including direct cellular interactions, antigenic stimulation, and biochemical and humoral influences [39]. To give rise to the development of malignant lymphomas, the production rate of the neoplastic lymphocytes must exceed their death rate. In contrast, if malignant transformation of lymphocytes is associated with higher death rates than production rates, these neoplastic cells eliminate themselves due to this suicidal proliferative constellation. These considerations may elucidate the decisive importance of lymphocyte proliferation kinetics for the development of malignant non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL).