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Effect of Murine Milk Samples and Human Breast Tissues on Human Leukocyte Migration Indices¹

New York Medical College-Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals, New York, New York 10029 [M. M. B., B. S., R. E. Z., H. P. L.], and Institute for Medical Research, Camden, New Jersey 08103 [D. H. M.]

A leukocyte migration procedure was used as a measure of cellular hypersensitivity responses of human leukocytes against human breast tissues and mouse milk samples. Leukocytes from adult women with and without benign and malignant breast lesions were tested against cryostat sections of autologous and homologous benign and malignant (in situ and invasive) breast lesions. Simultaneous tests were made against RIII mouse milk samples that contain murine mammary tumor virus and against virus-free mouse milk samples from RIIIf and C57BL mice. Observations were also made on the response to a common environmental antigen (Varidase).

The migration of leukocytes from control women, with and without benign breast lesions, was commonly inhibited by Varidase but was rarely inhibited by any of the mouse milk samples or by any of the benign or malignant breast lesions. The migration of leukocytes from breast cancer patients was commonly inhibited by Varidase but was not inhibited by virus-free mouse milk samples or by benign breast tissues. However, migration inhibition (>25%) was found in 31% of breast cancer patients tested against RIII milk, in 33% of tests against homologous in situ breast cancer, in 29% of tests against autologous invasive breast cancer, and in 16% of tests against homologous invasive breast cancer tissues. Responsiveness to breast cancer tissues was correlated with a high degree of cross-reactivity against RIII mouse milk. Conversely, leukocytes that responded to RIII milk cross-reacted in most of the tests against homologous in situ breast cancer and in approximately one-third of the tests against invasive breast cancer but were nonresponsive to RIIIf milk, C57BL milk, and benign breast lesions. It appears that the antigenicity of human breast cancer tissue is largely a reflection of a component that is similar to that found in murine mammary tumor virus-infected lactating mammary parenchyma. Such antigenicity is more regularly found among in situ breast cancer tissues than among invasive breast cancer tissues.

¹ Supported by Contracts NO1-CP-33398 and NO1-CP-33339 within the Special Virus-Cancer Program of the National Cancer Institute, NIH, USPHS.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Pathology, New York Medical College-Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals, 1249 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. 10029.

Received 12/17/73. Accepted 2/11/74.