Immunologic reactivity of lymph nodes regional to prostatic cancer: preliminary observations

Regional pelvic lymph nodes from 9 patients with prostatic carcinoma were investigated for in vitro immunologic reactivity to T and B cell mitogens. Regional lymph node lymphocytes were significantly more reactive when obtained from nodes morphologically displaying T and B lymphocyte hyperplasia than from nodes that histologically appeared normal or depleted the lymphocytes. The data suggest that a morphologic evaluation of lymph nodes regional to prostate cancer may reflect the patient's antitumor immune response.