COMBINATION OF STANDARD CYTOLOGY AND IMMUNOCYTOLOGY WITH BL2-10D1 MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY FOR MONITORING-TREATED BLADDER-CANCER PATIENTS

Monoclonal antibody BL2-10D1 directed against a tumor-associated antig en of bladder carcinoma was used for monitoring 11 intravesically trea ted patients. Thirty-three bladder washout specimens were used for sta ndard cytology and immunological staining. Prior to treatment, 9 of 11 cytologic specimens examined with standard cytology were found to be positive. Using BL2-10D1 alone, only 6 were positive but 1 patient neg ative with standard cytology was positive with the antibody and corres ponded to a positive histological control. Thus, before treatment. an increase in positive rate was observed using the combination of the 2 methods from 82 to 91%. At the end of treatment, 9 washout specimens r emained positive with standard cytology, whereas 1 case negative in st andard cytology was positive in immunocytology. Thus, the positive rat e increased from 82 to 91%. One month after the end of treatment, of 1 1 washout specimens tested, 3 false-negative standard cytologies and 4 false-negative immunocytologies were shown. However, used in combinat ion, the two methods lead to an increase in positive rate from 67 to 8 9%. In view of these results. BL2-10D1 may be considered as a useful r eagent in combination with the standard cytology for the confirmation of the presence of tumor cells before and after immunotherapy.