[The clinical importance of the radioimmunological determination of the beta 2-microglobulin in acute leukemia patients].

The concentration of beta 2-microglobulin in the blood serum was examined in 141 patients with acute leukemia. There were 63 men and 78 women aged 14 to 78 years. Studies performed before chemotherapy was instituted revealed a statistically significant increase in serum beta 2-microglobulin in all varieties of acute leukemia as applicable to the control values. There was a considerable scattering of individual indicators of protein concentration in the serum, which did not allow the use of measurements of beta 2-microglobulin in the blood serum as a criterion for differential diagnosis in identification of certain clinicomorphological varieties of acute leukemia. A direct correlation was established between the concentration of serum beta 2-microglobulin and the phase of the disease. The data obtained indicate that the beta 2-microglobulin test is of great help for the control of remission completeness in acute leukemias and for early diagnosis of relapses.