Immune reactions following desiccation surgery of the canine prostate. An initial report.

Desiccation surgery of the canine prostate induces a chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate that persists at the site for more than 1 year. Specific autoantibody was demonstrated by direct immunofluorescence with prostatic tissue only. The mononuclear cell infiltrate occurring in large focal aggregates within 2 months after surgery was similar to the lesions seen in certain chronic inflammatory diseases. Precipitating antibody was not demonstrable by agar double diffusion techniques. The possible therapeutic effect of the induction of such a lesion in cancerous prostatic tissue is discussed.