[Stimulation of antigenicity of renal adenocarcinoma cells]

It was hypothesized that membrane rigidification of tumor cells could enhance the expression of tumor associated antigens (6) For this purpose, we treated in vitro hypernephroma cell with cholesterol hemisuccinate (CHS) or 25-hydroxysterol (250HC) and we evaluated their immunogenicity by skin-tests in 26 patients after radical nephrectomy. The skin-tests were positive in 50% cases with CHS treated cells, and in 35% with 250HC treated cells. The immune responses were characterized as delayed hypersensitivity. However determinations of all membrane fluidity suggested that membrane rigidification was not the unique factor involved. These results could therefore be of clinical interest in the treatment of renal carcinoma by active immunotherapy.