Detection of Carcinoma of the Prostate Utilizing Biochemical Observations

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Abstract
This review presents the current status of attempts to identify individuals with a high risk of carcinoma of the prostate by using biochemical, immunochemical, and immunologic studies of body fluids. Blood, urine, and prostatic fluid have been subjected to a variety of analyses in attempts to find alterations that are sufficiently specific and sensitive enough to be useful in the early recognition of patients with a high probability of localized or disseminated carcinoma of the prostate. A variety of immunologic and immunochemical techniques to identify and quantify acid phosphatase of prostatic origin in the serum are currently being explored for this purpose; as yet, none has achieved the specificity‐sensitivity relationship necessary for widespread clinical application. Biochemical studies of prostatic fluid have disclosed a reversal of the lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzyme pattern with a predominance of LDH‐V and increased levels of transferrin, complement C3 and possibly complement C4 in association with carcinoma of the prostate. The value of these non‐specific changes is increased by the probable direct relationship between prostatic epithelial cell metabolism and changes in prostatic fluid composition. These approaches to identify individuals with a high risk of carcinoma of the prostate hold promise; they should be continued and expanded.