For the first time since the introduction of female sex hormone treatment of carcinoma of the prostate, an entirely new therapeutic approach was tried, i.e., specific immune therapy in the form of chessboard vaccination. With this method, and continuation of hormone therapy, inactivated cancerous cells were injected with neuraminidase intracutaneously into the thigh. Should hormone therapy prove ineffective, a long-term therapeutic effect can be achieved in approximately half of the patients by giving three vaccinations containing 44,400,000 cells. The effectiveness of specific immunotherapy in the form of chessboard vaccinations could be established on the basis of a significant drop in serum phosphatases and carcinoembryonic antigen under therapy, the scintigraphic evidence of remission of osteometastases and not least of all a statistically significant increase in the survival rate during treatment of unconfined metastasizing prostate carcinomas. Even in early stages specific immunotherapy constitutes a new alternative therapeutic method, particularly in the treatment of hormone-independent prostate carcinomas and in cases of estrogen intolerance.
The prerequisites and kinetics of HLA-antibody-induced 14C-serotonin release from platelets were investigated with five HLA-specific antisera. By studying the influence of incubation time, temperature, pH, platelet count, stirring and extent of platelet labeling, optimal results were obtained after 30 (to 60) min of incubation at 37 degrees C, pH 7.5-8.0, under constant stirring (400 rpm). Optimal platelet counts varied between 160,000 and 400,000/microliter depending on the antiserum applied. A comparison of the amount of 14C-serotonin released by different antisera from washed platelets and from platelets in platelet-rich plasma suggests that plasma components--most likely complement--may additionally influence the results. Based on these experiments, a standardized microtechnique of HLA-antibody-induced 14C-serotonin release is recommended.
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