IMMUNOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL-RESPONSE OF OV ARIAN-CARCINOMA PATIENTS AFTER TREATMENT WITH (131)J-F(AB)(2) OC-125 MAB

The activation of the idiotypic network seems to be a beneficial appro ach to the immunological therapy of ovarian cancer. In a retrospective study 62 patients with ovarian carcinoma (of which 57 could be evalua ted) received 1 mg of (131)J-F(Ab)(2) OC 125 MAb one to five times aft er radical surgery and polychemotherapy. In twenty-eight patients (49 %) a remarkable antiidiotypic antibody (Ab2) response arose. The anti- idiotypic antibody (Ab2) plasma levels increased with increasing numbe r of F(Ab)(2) OC 125 MAb applications. The twenty patients (35 %) who developed Ab2-concentrations > 10 000 U/ml had a significantly higher survival rate than the patients who showed weak (Ab2-concentrations < 10 000 U/ml) or no immunological response to (131)J-F(Ab)(2) OC 125 MA b treatment (p < 0,05).