Malignant lymphoma: Monitoring of tumour status in 273 patients using a monoclonal antibody, ‘B5’, reacting with autologous erythrocytes

The value of the B 5 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 B 5 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 B 5 positivity ( 84%; 99 118 ). Serial monitoring of 113 patients showed that B 5 status often changed as tumour status changed, becoming more negative with remission, and more positive in relapse. Use of the B 5 test in conjunction with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) gave an increased specificity for active disease in that 87% ( 35 40 ) of those who were B 5-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 B 5 test, combined with the ESR, in the monitoring of patients with malignant lymphoma.