Application of 31P NMR spectroscopy to monitor chemotherapy-associated changes of serum phospholipids in patients with malignant lymphomas.

31P spectra were obtained from 22 healthy volunteers and 35 patients with malignant lymphomas. Sera from patients were collected at the time of diagnosis and at several time-points during therapy. Long-term follow-up studies showed a good correlation between the 31P NMR spectra of sera and the clinically evident response of the disease to the chemotherapy. During therapy leading to remission resonance from phospholipids increased progressively resulting in spectra similar to those seen in normal sera. By contrast, in patients who did not respond to therapy the intensities of the phospholipid peaks remained relatively low or became progressively reduced as the disease progressed. To understand the source of the spectral differences, we also examined the concentrations of high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, and triglycerides. In individuals responding to the treatment, both high-density lipoprotein and cholesterol increased to the point where they were statistically equivalent to those from healthy volunteers.