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Inhibitory Effects of B Cells on Antitumor Immunity

¹ Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Division of Hematology, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Maryland and ² Dermatology Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland

Requests for reprints: Dorothy Scott, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Division of Hematology, Food and Drug Administration, 1401 Rockville Pike, HFM-345, Rockville, MD 20852-1448. Phone: 301-827-3016; Fax: 301-402-2780; E-mail: dorothy.scott{at}fda.hhs.gov.

B-cell functions in antitumor immunity are not well understood. In this study, we evaluated the role of B cells in the development of antitumor immunity using Friend murine leukemia virus gag-expressing mouse EL-4 (EL-4 gag), D5 mouse melanoma, or MCA304 mouse sarcoma cells. To screen tumors for susceptibility to B-cell-deficient immune environments, spleen cells from naive C57BL/6 [wild-type (WT)] and B-cell knockout (BKO) mice were cultured with irradiated tumor cells in vitro. When cells were stimulated with EL-4 gag or D5 (but not MCA304 tumors), IFN- production from CD8 T cells and natural killer cells was markedly decreased in WT compared with BKO cultures. IFN- production was correlated with CD40 ligand expression on the tumor and inversely with interleukin-10 (IL-10) production by B cells. Sorted WT B cells produced more IL-10 than CD40 knockout (CD40KO) B cells when cocultured with EL-4 gag or D5 (but not MCA304). IFN- production by BKO cells was reduced by the addition of sorted naive WT B cells (partially by CD40KO B cells) or recombinant mouse IL-10. In vivo tumor progression mirrored in vitro studies in that WT mice were unable to control tumor growth whereas EL-4 gag and D5 tumors (but not MCA304) were eliminated in BKO mice. Robust in vivo antitumor CTLs developed only in BKO tumor-challenged mice. Our studies provide the first mechanistic basis for the concept that B-cell depletion could therapeutically enhance antitumor immune responses to certain tumors by decreasing IL-10 production from B cells. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(15): 7741-7)

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