Ward A. Soanes

Cryosurgery of the monkey (macaque) prostate: I. Humoral immunologic responsiveness following cryostimulation☆

The effect of in situ freezing of the monkey (macaque) prostate on the development of antibodies reactive with allogeneic and autologous extract preparations of the cranial and caudal lobe of prostatic tissue and their tissue specificity were evaluated by the method of tanned cell hemagglutination. A representative percentage of the animals receiving cryosurgery developed antibodies to prostatic tissue components; however the intensity of this response was considerably modest when contrasted to that obtained following similar treatment of the rabbit prostate (coagulating gland) and generally did not appear, as in the latter, to increase to any significant degree following multiple freezing. The possible relationship of this modest humoral response to the “cryosensitivity” of the target organ and of the animals evaluated in the present study, i.e., the concentration of glandular secretions (autoantigens), physiologic state (elaboration of androgen) and immunocompetence, are considered.

Alterations of α2 -Globulin and the Clinical Response in Patients with Prostatic Cancer following Cryotherapy

Evaluation of alterations in the level of alpha2-globulin in the serum of 18 patients with prostatic cancer prior to and following cryotherapy of their primary prostatic tumor and the clinical response of these patients disclosed: (1) a progressive increase in the level of alpha2-globulin and the incidence of patients with significantly elevated levels of alpha2-globulin, i.e., greater than or equal to 1.30 g/100 ml, with a progression of the stage of their malignancy; (2) a decrease in the levels of alpha2-globulin in the serum of 14 of 18 (78%) patients following cryotherapy, and (3) a favorable clinical response in 11 of 14 (79%) patients with prostatic cancer showing a decrease in alpha2-globulin following cryotherapy. While limited to the study of a relatively small patient population, the present results suggest a prognostic potential for alpha2-globulin, particularly as applied to stage identification in prostatic cancer. Pending confirmation by evaluation of a larger patient population, it may even provide objective criteria for monitoring the clinical response of an individual following cryotherapy of the prostate.

Evaluation of the freeze-thaw alteration of rabbit male urogenital tissue antigens by double diffusion gel precipitation*

Summary Preliminary double diffusion gel precipitation studies of guinea pig antisera to antigens of rabbit male accessory glands tissues of reproduction have been successful in demonstrating in vitro freeze-thaw induced alterations of these antigens. Freeze-thaw treatment of these antigens in the presence of the alkylating reagent iodoacetamide resulted in the formation of a precipitate which proved to be refractory to solubilization in 6 m urea or 0.2 m mercaptoethanol, or in a combination of both. The possible mechanisms involved in these alterations are discussed.

Serum Proteins in Prostatic Cancer

Levels of the three major serum immunoglobulins (G, A, M) were quantitated prior to and up to 2 weeks following each of two independent freezing treatments of the primary prostatic tumour in 4 patient

Elution of cell-bound anti-prostatic epithelial antibodies after multiple cryotherapy of carcinoma of the prostate

Abstract Antibodies reactive with the cytoplasmic membrane or intercellular areas of autologous human and monkey prostatic secretory epithelial cells have been demonstrated by immunofluorescence in an eluate prepared from prostatic tissue obtained from a patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate (CaP) after multiple cryotherapy of his primary prostatic tumour. While limited to the study of one patient, elution of anti-prostatic antibodies offers further documentation to previous studies pointing toward the participation of immunologic processes in CaP.

Antibodies reactive with autologous prostatic tissue in adenocarcinoma of prostate.

Abstract Circulating autoantibodies reactive with interepithelial constituents of secretory epithelial cells of autologous human prostatic tissue in a patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate have been observed by fluorescent microscopy. Identification of autoantibodies in prostatic cancer provides further evidence of the participation of immunologic factors, perhaps of an autoimmune nature, in diseases of the prostate.