Antigenic cross reactivity between benign prostatic hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma of prostate

Tissue cultures were established from biopsy specimens of adenocarcinoma of the prostate (ACP) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Generally, peripheral blood lymphocytes from BPH and ACP patients were cytotoxic to both ACP and BPH cells, but not normal fibroblasts nor cells cultured from other types of malignant tissue. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal control patients or from patients with other types of cancer were not cytotoxic to ACP- or BPH-derived cells. These findings are consistent with a cross reactive autoimmune response in ACP and BPH patients, directed against a common antigen(s) present on both ACP and BPH cells.