This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Barrett, M. K. Articles by Hansen, W. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Barrett, M. K. Articles by Hansen, W. H.

Resistance to Tumor Implantation Induced by Red Cell Stromata^*

( National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.)

Previous observations that a prior inoculation of washed red cells would, under proper conditions, induce a high degree of resistance against a subsequent inoculation of tumor were confirmed.

It was further observed that red cell stromata were capable of inducing resistance which was not distinguishably different in degree from that induced by intact red cells. This result was attained with stromata prepared by means of 0.3 per cent saline, 0.02 M citrate buffer solution, or hemolytic rabbit antiserum at or near neutrality. However, lowering the hydrogen ion concentration of the laking fluid to pH 5.5 or pH 4.0 produced a corresponding lowering of the degree of induced resistance.

Exposure of stromata to high-pitched audible sound vibrations ablated their power to induce resistance, but it was necessary to expose stromata for longer periods of time than was required to produce the same effect in red cells. Under the influence of sound vibrations, the degree of loss of antigenicity of red cells and stromata was correlated with the degree of morphologic disintegration.

There was no discernible morphologic change which could be correlated with the graded effect on antigenicity of lowering the pH. On the other hand, there was no correlated change in the antigenicity accompanying the morphologic changes produced by antiserum.

It is concluded that the antigen involved in induced resistance is not limited in occurrence to the intact living cell. This antigen is sensitive to chemical change but, more important for future work, it seems to depend upon some degree of organization (or possibly aggregation). The level of organization required appears at present to be somewhere above the molecular level but not so high as that of the cell. Tentatively, one may suspect that the arrangement of its constituent parts is critical in the nature of the antigen, and this has been adopted as a working hypothesis.

^* This manuscript was prepared while the senior author was a summer investigator in the Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Received 10/28/52.