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Autogenous Immunity to Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus in Mouse Strains of High and Low Mammary Tumor Incidence¹

Basic Research and Viral Oncology Programs, National Cancer Institute Frederick Cancer Research Center, Frederick, Maryland 21701

Specific radioimmune precipitation assays were utilized to demonstrate the presence of precipitating antibodies to mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) in the high-spontaneous mammary tumor strains of mice: C3H/HeN⁺, GR/N, BALB/cfC3H, and C57BL/6 x C3H F₁ (hereafter called B6C3F₁). Antibody titers in C3H/HeN⁺ mice increased with age, with highest titers observed in tumor-bearing animals. MMTV-precipitating antibodies were not detectable by radioimmune precipitation assay in low-mammary tumor strains (AKR, BALB/c, C57BL/6, and C3H/HeN^-) but were detectable in MMTV-inoculated BALB/c mice. Appearance of antibodies preceded palpable tumor formation, and antibody titers were directly correlated to virus dose. Natural antibody to MMTV in C3H/HeN^- and B6C3F₁ mice coexists with the murine leukemia virus natural antibody as determined by competition radioimmunoassays.

¹ Research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute under Contract NO1-CO-25423 with Litton Bionetics, Inc.

Received 2/17/76. Accepted 4/22/76.