title: Malignant lymphoma: monitoring of tumour status in 273 patients using a monoclonal antibody, 'B5', reacting with autologous erythrocytes.
abstract: The value of the B5 antigen haemagglutination test has been assessed in 273 patients with malignant lymphoma--141 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and 132 with Hodgkin's disease (HD). Of those patients who were in remission after treatment, 41/155 (26%) showed B5 positivity: this compares to an incidence of 20% (122/551) in a wide range of non-tumour bearing individuals. In contrast, those patients with persistent disease, or in relapse, showed a much higher incidence of B5 positivity (84%; 99/118). Serial monitoring of 113 patients showed that B5 status often changed as tumour status changed, becoming more negative with remission, and more positive in relapse. Use of the B5 test in conjunction with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) gave an increased specificity for active disease in that 87% (35/40) of those who were B5-positive together with a raised ESR had active disease: of those patients who were both B5-negative and had normal ESR, 9 out of 108 (8%) had active disease. These findings suggest a role for the B5 test, combined with the ESR, in the monitoring of patients with malignant lymphoma.
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal