Early antiviral antibody response after immunization with viral oncolysate: a powerful prognostic marker for acute myelogenous leukemia remission patients

Twenty-four acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients in first clinical remission received, as a part of their maintenance therapy, repeated injections of viral oncolysate (i.e., avian influenza virus-infected, formalin-inactivated, allogeneic leukemia cells). The anti-oncolysate- virus antibody responses after a single injection, tested by a radioimmunoassay, were in inverse correlation to the remission duration (p less than or equal to 0.01). The 25% of patients with the lowest responses had a median remission duration of more than 36 mo, with no relapses within the first 18 mo. In contrast, the 75% of patients with higher responses had a median remission time of less than 5 mo, and more than 80% relapsed within 18 mo. Despite the small number of patients, these differences are highly significant (p less than or equal to 0.001). Immunization of remission AML patients with viral oncolysate provides a powerful prognostic test. Most early relapses can be predicted, with a modest rate of false-positive and false-negative predictions.