title: [Auto-dendritic cell vaccines pulsed with PSA, PSMA and PAP peptides for hormone-refractory prostate cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical safety and effects of auto-dendritic cells pulsed with HLA-A201-binding peptides prostate-specific antigen (PSA) , prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) in the treatment of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer (HRPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen HRPC patients with positive HLA-A201 were enrolled and their monocytes isolated and induced into dendritic cells with the combination of rhGM-CSF and rhIL4. The patients were inoculated subcutaneously near the inguinal region with auto-DCs pulsed with peptides PSA (KLQCVDLHV) , PSMA (ALDVYNGL L) and PAP (LLHETDSAV) every 2 weeks for 4 times, and the immunological and clinical responses were examined within 1 -2 weeks after the final vaccination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vaccination of dendritic cells was well tolerated and no toxicity was observed. The cytokine levels in the serum such as IL-2, IL-12 and IFN-gamma were significantly increased after the vaccination (P < 0.01). The delayed type hyper- sensitivity (DTH) test was positive in 4 of the patients (4/11), the percentage of antigen-special IFN-gamma+ CD8+ T increased in 5 (5/11), the level of the tumor marker PSA decreased in 6 (6/16) , hydrops abdominis reduced in 1 (1/16), and the size of the cervical lymph node lessened in 1 (1/16). Three patients showed partial remission (PR), 7 stability of the disease (SD), and the other 6 progression of the disease (PD).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Auto-DC vaccines loaded with PSA, PSMA and PAP peptides, capable of eliciting specific immune responses in HRPC patients, is a safe and effective option for the treatment of advanced HRPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Li-Qin
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hong-Zhen
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D000368:Aged; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D043425:Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II / Q000276:immunology; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D016207:Cytokines; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; C428439:prostatic acid phosphatase; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; C473848:FOLH1 protein, human; D043425:Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen