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On Low Acid Phosphatase Values of Patients with Known Metastatic Cancer of the Prostate^*

Morris London, Rosemary McHugh and Perry B. Hudson

( Departments of Biochemistry and Urology, Francis Delafield Hospital, and the Institute of Cancer Research, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, N.Y.)

The prostatic enzyme as found in the serum under physiological conditions has been shown to be unstable. An explanation of the instability is presented. Sera of males have been shown to both inhibit and rapidly inactivate the enzyme.

Many substances normally present in serum can inhibit the acid phosphatase of the prostate. A new, intensely active, and widespread inhibitor of the enzyme has been found.

The level of prostatic acid phosphatase present in the sera of patients with advanced prostatic cancer has been altered in several instances by controlling the body temperature of such patients within a few °C. This potentially provides a new procedure, using standard acid phosphatase assays, which will differentiate curable from incurable prostatic cancer patients with a higher degree of certainty.

^* This investigation was supported by a grant from the Damon Runyan Memorial Fund and by a grant-in-aid from the American Cancer Society, upon recommendation of the Committee on Growth, the National Research Council.

Damon Runyon Senior Clinical Research Fellow.

Received 3/18/54.