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Antigen-specific Immunity in Recipients of Leukocyte Transfusions from Immune Donors¹

Department of Developmental Therapeutics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute at Houston, Houston, Texas 77025

Adoptive immunity in man has been studied with the primary antigens of keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and the amino acid copolymer of the L-isomers of glutamic acid, lysine, alanine, and tyrosine (GLAT). Thirteen volunteer donors with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other malignant diseases were immunized with KLH or GLAT or both. Immune peripheral blood leukocytes were collected with an IBM-NCI blood cell separator. Between 1.1 and 15.6 x 10¹⁰ lymphocytes were collected from the chronic lymphocytic leukemia leukocyte donors; from 0.16 to 1.1 x 10¹⁰ lymphocytes were collected from the other donors. The leukocyte recipients were all patients with advanced malignant disease. Thirty-one of the 55 recipients evaluated for KLH sensitivity after the transfusion had evidence of immunity as measured by delayed hypersensitivity, antibody formation, or in vitro lymphocyte blastogenesis. Eleven of 13 studied for transfer of GLAT immunity were positive by at least one of the above parameters of immunity. Ten of 46 recipients skin tested were KLH skin test positive, as was 1 of 7 skin tested for GLAT. Ten of 47 and 5 of 13 recipients whose lymphocytes were evaluated for in vitro lymphocyte blastogenesis stimulated by KLH and GLAT, respectively, were positive. Fifty-eight % of 36 recipients evaluated developed KLH antibody, compared with 11 of 13 leukocyte recipients producing GLAT antibody. Leukocytes from both types of donors were equally successful at transferring immunity. Adoptive immunity occurred more frequently in recipients with granulocytic leukemia than in recipients with solid tumors of lymphoma.

¹ This work was supported by Grant CA 08859 from the USPHS and Grant CA 05831 from the National Cancer Institute. Presented in part at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, San Francisco, Calif., 1969.

Received 6/ 5/70. Accepted 8/10/70.