[Interferon-producing capacity in patients with prostate cancer: prognosis value]

The interferon (IFN)-alpha and -gamma producing capacities were measured in 47 patients with prostatic cancer by the whole blood method. The mean IFN-alpha producing capacity in prostatic cancer patients was 3,657 IU/ml, which indicated a significantly (P less than 0.005) lower value than that in healthy male control aged 50 years or more (mean value, 4,988 IU/ml), while the IFN-gamma producing capacity was almost normal. The IFN-alpha and -gamma producing capacities in patients with stage D disease was decreased as compared with that in patients with stage A, B or C. The higher the grade of the diseases, the lower the IFN producing capacity tended to be. In patients with prostatic cancer, the prognosis was worse in low IFN producing capacity group than in normal or high IFN producing capacity group. These results suggest that the measurement of IFN producing capacity is useful for the estimation of the prognosis of patients with prostatic cancer, and that the IFN producing capacity may be a factor which decides the prognosis.