Immune responses of lymphocytes to spontaneous carcinoma soluble antigen of mice.

Abstract

Kinetics of the cellular immune response in inbred WHT/Ht mice with spontaneous growing transplantable cell carcinoma, was studied in its early stage. Soluble tumor antigen prepared by treatment with butanol appeared to release the contents of the plasma membrane serectively. In a micro mixed lymphocyte-tumor culture reaction (MLTR) test it was shown that crude butanol extracts (CBE) evoked a lymphocyte blastogenesis in normal mice, revealing that CBE contained a tumor associated antigen (TAA). In addition, optimal conditions in the MLTR were investigated. The maximum lymphocyte blastogenesis was observed on the 3rd day after culturing. Maximun stimulation was shown to occur when 1×10⁶/ml spleen cells were incubated with 0.13 μg/ml CBE. Tumor cells, inoculated under these conditions, and spleen cells, of tumor- bearing mice, were serially tested on each alternate day for 9 to 10 days by which time tumor palpation was possible. These studies showed that cellular immunity was suppressed on the first day but was much enhanced 2-4 days later, and was again greatly suppressed 5-10 days later. These findings show that negative cellular immunty is present in the early stages of spontaneous tumor-bearing WHT/Ht mice.