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Cellular Immunity to Tumor-associated Antigens of Transplantable Mammary Tumors of C3H/HeN Mice

Laboratory of Immunodiagnosis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20014 [A. T., R. B. H., J. L. M.], and Viral Oncology Programs, National Cancer Institute, Frederick Cancer Research Center, Frederick, Maryland 21701 [L. O. A.]

Cellular immunity to tumor-associated antigens of C3H/HeN-MTV+ (hereafter called C3H+) and C3H/HeN-MTV-(hereafter called C3H-) mice bearing syngeneic transplantable mammary tumors was assessed by the production of migration inhibition factor in response to mouse mammary tumor virus (MTV)-related antigens or 3 M KCl tumor extracts, by the use of an indirect agarose microdroplet migration inhibition assay. C3H+ mice bearing a transplantable syngeneic mammary tumor (MAT-2) were generally unable to produce migration inhibition factor in response to MTV, whereas a strong immune response in those mice was elicited by a 3 M KCl extract of MAT-2 tumor. C3H-tumor-bearing mice were reactive to MTV as well as to 3 M KCl extract. The latter reactivity was found to be specific since these mice failed to react against similarly prepared 3 M KCl extracts of various normal or chemically induced tumor tissues. Two other spontaneously arising mammary tumors (MAT-3 and MAT-4) of C3H+ mice appeared to share an antigen with MAT-2. Furthermore, a 3 M KCl extract of C3H+ embryos, with no detectable MTV antigens, was found to stimulate migration inhibition reactivity in C3H+ and C3H- mice bearing MAT-2 tumor, which suggests that tumor growth induces reactivity against non-virus-related tumor-associated antigens, which are common to embryo cells. Induction of migration inhibition factor production by MAT-2 tumor-associated antigens or MTV appeared to be dependent on T-cells, since reactivity was eliminated by pretreatment of immune spleen cells with anti-Thy plus complement.

¹ On leave from Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy. To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Laboratory of Immunodiagnosis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 10, Room 8B07, Bethesda, Md. 20014.

Received 3/ 2/78. Accepted 9/25/78.