ANALYSIS OF NK CELL-ACTIVITY, LYMPHOCYTE-REACTIVITY TO MITOGENS AND SEROTEST PSA AND TPS VALUES IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY AND DISSEMINATED PROSTATE-CANCER, PIN AND BPH

In a total of 59 prostate cancel (PCa) patients, 9 patients with PIN, 29 subjects with BPH and 26 healthy men serum TPS and PSA values were measured together with NK cell activity, number and proportion of CD26 + cells, and reactivity of lmphocytes to mitogens (Con A, PHA and PWM) . NK activity data indicate highly significant differences between bot h a) patients with local tumor and those with disseminated disease (P< 0.01) and b) responders and nonresponding patients to hormonal therapy (P<0.02). The number and proportion of CD16+ cells is lowest in BPH p atients in comparision with controls and PCa patients. Since benign en largement is attributed mainly to stromal cell proliferation in the ab sence of cell death in this compartment, gene expressions which contro l these events may participate in the surprisingly low CD26+ cell prop ortion. The reactivity of lymphocytes to mitogens (PHA, Con A and PWM) showed lower numerical vales in all categories of PCa and BPH patient s when compared with healthy men. The reactivity of T and B lymphocyte s reported herein as immunological responses to mitogens (PHA, Con A a nd PWM) was performed 4-6 months after the beginning of therapy. Our d ata fit in well with those previously reported. Numerically lowest res pective reactivity parameters to all mitogens were assessed in PIN sub jects. Repelled results show the specific significance of the changes in NK cell activity in regard with both metastatic extention of PCa an d armor response to therapy These alterations match in their reliabili ty changes with tumor marker values related to prostrate cancer activi ty (TPS) and tumor differentiation (PSA). Lymphocyte reactivity to mit ogens (Con A, PHA, PWM) may help in a subclinical discrimination betwe en BPH and PIN patients that is still an important goal of clinical ur ology.