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Dual-site murine antibody-based immunoassays are commonly used in clinical laboratories to quantitate the MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB). Because the serum level of CK-MB is a relatively specific and sensitive indicator of myocardial ischemic damage, accurate quantitation is essential for a correct diagnosis. Heterophile antibodies (eg, human anti-murine antibodies) can interfere with these assays, however, and produce erroneous results. A subpopulation of 19 surgical patients with colorectal carcinoma who had received injections of an 125I-labeled murine monoclonal antibody directed against a tumor-associated glycoprotein was studied. Serum specimens from eight patients (42%) showed a marked increase in the level of CK-MB and normal total CK concentrations. The increased concentrations of CK-MB, which were attributed to interference by human antimurine antibodies, were substantially reduced in these specimens after a heterophile blocking reagent was added. However, this reagent did not significantly alter the serum level of CK-MB in patients who had clinical evidence of acute myocardial ischemia.

Twenty-two endometrial stromal sarcomas were studied by flow cytometric analysis and the results were correlated with surgical stage, nuclear grade, mitotic index, and recurrence. Ploidy determination was not helpful in predicting recurrence in patients with Stage I disease because all 14 were diploid. Only 2 of the 22 tumors were aneuploid; both were high-stage neoplasms. Cell proliferation (%S or %S + %G2/M) did not significantly correlate with vascular invasion, nuclear grade, mitotic index, or surgical stage. Of the 13 Stage I neoplasms with follow-up data, three recurred. The mean proliferation index (%S + %G2/M) of those that recurred was 12.81 +/- 0.47, which did not differ from those that did not recur (mean 12.25 +/- 4.11).