Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Lymphocytes and what they do

Lymphocytes are special cells that help your body fight infection. They can travel to any part of your body. There are large numbers of lymphocytes in your:

Source:
Martini FH.
The lymphatic system and immunity.
In: Ober WC, Garrison CW, Welch K, et al. Fundamentals of anatomy and physiology 5th edition. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, U.S.A.; 2001.

Blood
lymph vessels
Lymph vessels are part of your body's lymphatic system. This system moves lymph fluid through your body. This fluid carries proteins, white blood cells and other substances. Lymph vessels carry fluid between your lymph nodes.

Lymph vessels (the network of tubes that runs alongside your blood system)
lymph nodes
Lymph nodes (also called glands) are small, bean-shaped lumps that you cannot usually see or easily feel. They are located in various parts of the body, such as the neck, armpit and groin. Lymph nodes filter the lymph fluid and remove unusual things, such as bacteria and cancer cells.

Lymph nodes (the small lumps that filter fluid in your body, looking for infections)
tonsils
Your tonsils are a pair of lymph glands on either side of the back of your throat. They are part of your immune system. They help to fight infections that enter your body through your mouth. When your body is fighting an infection or an allergy, your tonsils become swollen. They can also swell up if you have cancer.

Tonsils,

appendix
Your appendix is a small pouch that juts out from a part of your intestine called the large bowel. No one knows exactly what your appendix does, since you can live a healthy life without one. It may help your body fight infections. If your appendix gets swollen (when you have appendicitis), you need an emergency operation to remove it.

appendix, gut, chest and skin
thymus
The thymus is a lymph gland in your chest. It makes certain types of blood cells called T cells. These cells help you fight infections.

Thymus
spleen
Your spleen is an organ that sits on the left side of your body just below your ribs. It helps your body fight infections.

Spleen.

Infections are usually caused when

viruses
Viruses are microbes (tiny organisms) that need the cells of humans or other animals to exist. They use the machinery of cells to reproduce. Then they spread to other cells in the body.

viruses and

bacteria
Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.

bacteria get into your body. Bacteria and viruses are everywhere. Without lymphocytes and other parts of your

immune system
The immune system is made up of the parts of the body that are devoted to fighting infection. The body is constantly being threatened by infections from things like bacteria, viruses and parasites. The immune system fights these infections in different ways. At the microscopic level, the immune system uses antibodies and white blood cells, which travel in the blood and target infectious agents, such as bacteria. These microscopic parts of the immune system either kill the infectious agent directly, or take it to other parts of the body, like the spleen, where it can be dealt with. The lymph nodes are another important part of the immune system. Within them, white blood cells filter through the foreign material that has entered the blood, to see if there are any infections. When you have a swollen gland during a cold, this is actually a lymph node that is reacting to the infection. Unfortunately, it is possible for the immune system to become confused and to use its destructive powers to target healthy parts of the body. Diseases that result from this type of situation are called autoimmune diseases.

immune system, you would die quickly from infection.

There are three kinds of lymphocytes. They defend your body in different ways.

B lymphocytes recognize the bacteria and viruses. The B stands for bone marrow. This is where B lymphocytes are made. They stay in the bone marrow until they are fully grown.
T lymphocytes start the attack on bacteria and viruses. The T stands for thymus. This is where T cells go to grow.
NK cells (or natural killer cells) destroy abnormal cells including bacteria, cells infected with viruses and cancer cells.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas can start in all three kinds of lymphocytes. Most non-Hodgkin's lymphomas start in B cells. About 1 in 7 start in T cells.

Source:
Evens AM, Gartenhaus RB.
Treatment of T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Current Treatment Options in Oncology. 2004; 5: 289-303.

Sources for the information on this page:

Martini FH.The lymphatic system and immunity.In: Ober WC, Garrison CW, Welch K, et al. Fundamentals of anatomy and physiology 5th edition. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, U.S.A.; 2001.

Evens AM, Gartenhaus RB.Treatment of T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.Current Treatment Options in Oncology. 2004; 5: 289-303.

This information was last updated on Jan 08, 2009

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