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Studies on Cellular and Humoral Immunity to Tumor-specific Antigens in Polyoma Virus-induced Tumors of Rats¹

Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium

Cellular and humoral immunity against polyoma virus-induced tumors in rats was studied with the colony inhibition assay. Lymph node and spleen cells from syngeneic rats immunized by allogeneic polyoma tumors mediated the immune reaction and reduced the plating efficiency of polyoma target cells, whereas lymph node and spleen cells from syngeneic rats immunized by allogeneic chemical carcinogen [7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene]-induced tumor did not exert an inhibitory effect on plated polyoma tumor cells. Both lymphocytes and sera (in the presence of complement) from animals inoculated at birth with polyoma virus and developing either primary polyoma tumors or no tumors inhibited the colony formation of plated polyoma tumor cells.

Serum from rats showing progressively growing polyoma tumors but not from rats developing no such tumors blocked the inhibitory effect of antipolyoma tumor-immune lymph node and spleen cells used in the colony inhibition assay. The blocking effect of this serum was specific, as it could be removed by absorption with polyoma tumor cells and not with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene tumor cells. The sera from rats with primary polyoma tumors might contain blocking factor(s) (antibodies?), which abrogate the inhibitory action of immune lymphocytes, and mediate an efferent form of immunological enhancement, which facilitates the development of primary tumors.

¹ This work was supported by a grant from the Belgian "Algemene Spaar-en Lijfrentekas."

Received 10/29/70. Accepted 2/23/71.