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Study of the Gross Antigen in BALB Leukemias and Tumors of Different Origin¹

Department of Experimental Leukemia, Instituto de Investigaciones Hematológicas, Academia Nacional de Medicina, Melo 3081, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The presence of the G antigen as indicative of infection by the Gross virus has been investigated in leukemias and tumors of the BALB strain, either spontaneous or induced by ³²P, X-rays, Sarcoma 180, or human and murine lymphomas.

The cytotoxic test was carried out on the leukemia and tumor cells of syngeneic cellular transplants, with a rat anti-G serum, W/Fu [anti-W/Fu (C58NT)D]. Negative results were obtained with the direct cytotoxic test; the only positive values were obtained with AKR leukemic cells, which were used as controls. However, with the indirect cytotoxic test or with typing by absorption, all leukemias and tumors of the BALB strain proved to be G+ except for the Moloney leukemia. Leukemias and tumors of the A and Rockland strains were G-. Syngeneic transplants of Sarcoma 180 were G+ in BALB mice and G- in Rockland mice. Normal BALB tissue remained G- even in old mice, while normal AKR tissue increased in G positivity with increasing age, although titers as high as those obtained with leukemias were not reached.

It can be concluded that either the Gross virus or a virus antigenically related to it is present in the BALB strain in a latent form, which is detectable by this method only upon the development of leukemia or tumors, irrespective of the inducing agent. This suggests that this virus participates in the malignant transformation.

¹ This investigation was supported by grants from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Fundación para Combatir la Leucemia. Abridged from a Doctorate Thesis presented at Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina (F. S.).

² Fellow of Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas.

³ Member of the Research Career of Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas.

⁴ Director, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas, Rosario, Argentina.

Received 7/28/70. Accepted 9/16/70.