B72.3 is a murine monoclonal antibody that recognizes a high-molecular-weight tumor-associated glycoprotein (TAG-72). Nine patients with TAG-72-positive ovarian carcinoma or papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum received an intraperitoneal infusion of 2, 4, or 10 mg B72.3 labeled with 0.5-1.2 (mean, 0.8) mCi 90Y. All patients had laparotomy, with multiple tissue and tumor samples removed 3-7 days later. The concentration of the total 90Y label in peritoneal fluid cleared with an extrapolated half-life of 68.6 +/- 4.5 hours. A low-molecular-weight 90Y-labeled species of metabolite was identified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The concentration of this low-molecular-weight species initially increased in the peritoneal fluid, with a half-life of 0.9 hour, and was rapidly cleared from the peritoneal cavity, with a half-life of 23.1 hours. Both the 90Y-labeled metabolite and the 90Y-labeled B72.3 were absorbed into the plasma, with half-lives of 16 +/- 2.2 hours and 25 +/- 5 hours, respectively. The clearance half-lives for these agents in plasma were 25 +/- 3 hours for the metabolite and 42 +/- 17 hours for B72.3. Approximately 8%-11% of the total injected 90Y label appeared in urine over 72 hours. Most of the label (about 70%) was present as the 90Y-labeled metabolite, but about 30% of the 90Y label in urine appeared identical to the authentic 90Y-labeled B72.3 standard when assayed by chromatography. Tissue distribution studies showed that normal tumor tissue and omentum contained the highest content of 90Y (about 0.017% of the injected dose per gram), followed in descending order by liver, normal lymph nodes, peritoneum, bone, and fascia. The lowest concentrations of 90Y were found in rectus abdominis muscle, bone marrow, and fat. There was substantial heterogeneity in the uptake of the 90Y label into tumor sites among patients and among different sites within the same patient. No correlation could be demonstrated between the TAG-72 content and the amount of 90Y label found in tumor sites. Preliminary radiation dosimetry estimates suggest that the tumor sites received about 82.8 cGy for each millicurie of 90Y administered. Thus, if an adequate total radiation dose can be achieved, 90Y-labeled B72.3 should be therapeutically useful for treating diffuse intraperitoneal disease.