Biomaterial Database

Monitoring immunotherapy with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin by antibody titer. 1977

A G Wile, and F C Sparks, and D L Morton

Antibody titer to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) was determined by complement fixation in 111 normal volunteers and 83 melanoma patients. In 43 of these melanoma patients, sequential determination of antibody titer was made and correlated with clinical course. Low titers of antibody to BCG were found frequently in normal volunteers and in melanoma patients prior to BCG immunotherapy. The typical response to BCG immunotherapy was a rapid rise of antibody titer to high levels. Six of 19 patients with recurrence had disappearance of antibody preceding clinical recurrence by up to 5 months. In 13 of 40 patients receiving BCG, serum antibody was a better indicator of the patient's response than measurement of delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity to purified protein derivative. These results suggest that measurement of the antibody response to BCG may be useful in developing an optimum mode of BCG immunotherapy as well as predicting clinical recurrence in patients with melanoma.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007109	Immunity	Nonsusceptibility to the invasive or pathogenic effects of foreign microorganisms or to the toxic effect of antigenic substances.	Immune Process,Immune Response,Immune Processes,Immune Responses,Process, Immune,Response, Immune
D007167	Immunotherapy	Manipulation of the host's immune system in treatment of disease. It includes both active and passive immunization as well as immunosuppressive therapy to prevent graft rejection.	Immunotherapies
D008297	Male		Males
D008545	Melanoma	A malignant neoplasm derived from cells that are capable of forming melanin, which may occur in the skin of any part of the body, in the eye, or, rarely, in the mucous membranes of the genitalia, anus, oral cavity, or other sites. It occurs mostly in adults and may originate de novo or from a pigmented nevus or malignant lentigo. Melanomas frequently metastasize widely, and the regional lymph nodes, liver, lungs, and brain are likely to be involved. The incidence of malignant skin melanomas is rising rapidly in all parts of the world. (Stedman, 25th ed; from Rook et al., Textbook of Dermatology, 4th ed, p2445)	Malignant Melanoma,Malignant Melanomas,Melanoma, Malignant,Melanomas,Melanomas, Malignant
D009163	Mycobacterium bovis	The bovine variety of the tubercle bacillus. It is called also Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. bovis.	BCG,Calmette-Guerin Bacillus
D009362	Neoplasm Metastasis	The transfer of a neoplasm from one organ or part of the body to another remote from the primary site.	Metastase,Metastasis,Metastases, Neoplasm,Metastasis, Neoplasm,Neoplasm Metastases,Metastases
D012008	Recurrence	The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission.	Recrudescence,Relapse,Recrudescences,Recurrences,Relapses
D012075	Remission, Spontaneous	A spontaneous diminution or abatement of a disease over time, without formal treatment.	Spontaneous Healing,Spontaneous Regression,Spontaneous Remission,Healing, Spontaneous,Regression, Spontaneous,Spontaneous Healings,Spontaneous Regressions
D003168	Complement Fixation Tests	Serologic tests based on inactivation of complement by the antigen-antibody complex (stage 1). Binding of free complement can be visualized by addition of a second antigen-antibody system such as red cells and appropriate red cell antibody (hemolysin) requiring complement for its completion (stage 2). Failure of the red cells to lyse indicates that a specific antigen-antibody reaction has taken place in stage 1. If red cells lyse, free complement is present indicating no antigen-antibody reaction occurred in stage 1.	Complement Absorption Test, Conglutinating,Conglutination Reaction,Conglutinating Complement Absorption Test,Complement Fixation Test,Conglutination Reactions,Fixation Test, Complement,Fixation Tests, Complement,Reaction, Conglutination,Reactions, Conglutination,Test, Complement Fixation,Tests, Complement Fixation
D003429	Cross Reactions	Serological reactions in which an antiserum against one antigen reacts with a non-identical but closely related antigen.	Cross Reaction,Reaction, Cross,Reactions, Cross