The authors evaluated retrospectively in a group of 69 adult patients with Hodgkin´s lymphoma the relationship between the beta-2-microglobulin serum level, basic demographic parameters (age, sex) and factors characterizing the extent (stage III and IV, „bulk“ or mediastinal mass, number of affected areas of lymph nodes) and activity of the tumour (presence of B-symptoms, red cell sedimentation rate, haemoglobin, albumin and lactate dehydrogenase level, number of leuco- cytes and lymphocytes). They analyzed also the possible prognostic impact of beta-2-microglobu- lin on the therapeutic response risk of relapse and patient´s survival. Methods of univariant statistical analysis confirmed the correlation of beta-2-microglobulin level with all investigated metric parameters of patients (advanced age, number of affected nodes, red cell sedimentation rate and lactate dehydrogenase level, lower albumin, haemoglobin level, num- bers of leucocytes and lymphocytes). In multivariant analysis however the only independent metric markers significantly associated with an elevated protein level were more advanced age of the patients (P = 0.0002) and a lower number of leucocytes (P = 0.05). The values of beta-2-microg- lobulin was not influenced by the extent of the tumour (stage III and IV, „bulk“ or mediastinal mass, higher number of affected areas of lymph nodes). Significantly more frequently elevated protein values were recorded in patients with manifestations of B symptoms associated with the diagnosis (P = 0.0003). Multivariant analysis did not prove the importance of the serum level of beta-2-microglobulin as a prognostic factor in the sense of predicted remission, development of a relapse or death in conjunction with progression of Hodgkin´s lymphoma.

        Key words: Beta-2-microglobulin - Hodgkin´s lymphoma - Prognostic factors - Main histocomptib- le complex - Epstein-Barr virus