No abstract

Evaluation of alterations in the level of the five major electrophoretic fractions of serum proteins (albumin, α₁- a₂-, β- and γ-globulin) in 18 patients with prostatic cancer prior to and following cryoprostatectomy disclosed: (i) a progressive increase in the level of α₂- and β-globulin and the incidence of patients possessing statistically significant (p < 0.05) elevations in these proteins with a progression of the stage of their malignancy; (ii) a significant decrease in albumin, α₂- and β-globulin and increase in α₁- and γ-globulin from their preoperative levels following cryoprostatectomy in patients with metastatic disease (stage III) in association with a favorable clinical response; (iii) an overall significant decrease in albumin and α₂-globulin and increase in α₁-globulin from their preoperative levels, and (iv) a general association of decreases in albumin (83% of the patients) and α₂-globulin (92%) and increases in α₁-globulin (92%) and γ-globulin (75%) with a favorable clinical response following cryoprostatectomy. Limited to study of a small patient population, the present results confirm earlier studies suggestive of a prognostic potential for α₂-globulin, as applied to stage identification in prostatic cancer once the initial diagnosis has been made. Pending confirmation and evaluation of a larger patient population, the observed alterations in serum proteins, while not pathognomonic for prostatic cancer, and alterations of inhibitory (‘immunoregulatory’) factors, may provide adjunctive criteria for monitoring the clinical response following cryoprostatectomy.

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 patients undergoing remission or healing of their metastatic lesions. Cyclical alterations in the level of IgG accompanied by moderate alterations in the level of IgA were noted post-operatively. Most striking was an almost twofold increase in the level of IgM in 3 of the 4 patients evaluated. While possibly a non-specific association, observations of increased levels of IgG and IgM following cryotherapy may represent an active immunologic response by the host to prostatic tissue (tumour?)-specific or tumour-associated antigen(s) in the form of ‘blocking’ factor(s) or cytotoxic antibody.