EVALUATION OF PLASMA-LEVELS OF THYMIDINE KINASE AND MUTATED P53 IN 81PATIENTS WITH NEWLY-DIAGNOSED MALIGNANT-LYMPHOMA

We analysed diagnostic phase plasma levels of thymidine kinase (TK) an d mutated p53 in 81 patients with malignant lymphoma. Forty-three (53% ) patients had increased (>10 U/l) TK activity whereas 30 (37%) were p ositive for the mutated p53 gene product. In general, patients with p5 3 mutation positive tumors tended to have higher TK activity than thos e without. Furthermore, patients with high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphom a (NHL) showed almost a linear correlation (r(s) = 0.79) between plasm a levels of mutated p53 and TK. We conclude that the monoclonal antibo dy assisted detection of mutated p53 gene product may prove a useful a djunct to the diagnostic procedures of malignant lymphomas.