Cell-mediated immunity to leukemia virus- and tumor-associated antigens in mice

Cell-mediated immune reactions appear to play an important role in resistance against growth of leukemia cells in mice. Possible mechanisms for in vivo protection in two tumor systems are discussed. These tumor models, which are a Friend leukemia virus-induced transplantable tumor, FBL-3, and primary murine sarcoma virus (MSV) -induced tumors, are strongly antigenic; under some conditions, tumors regress completely. In mice with regressing FBL-3 tumors, cell-mediated cytotoxicity was measured by release of [125I]iododeoxyuridine. The response was biphasic, with an initial peak at 10 days and a 2nd peak after 30 days. A boost in reactivity could be elicited by later challenge with tumor cells. All of the reactivity was dependent on T-cells, being eliminated by treatment with anti-theta plus complement. The specificity of the reactions was not completely defined, but it was consistent with Friend type-specific antigen plus broader, common antigens. In mice with regressing MSV tumors, strong cell-mediated cytotoxicity, measured mainly by release of 51Cr, was seen against RBL-5, a Rauscher virus-induced leukemia. A single peak of response occurred at about 14 days after virus inoculation. Upon later challenge with RBL-5 cells, a vigorous and rapid secondary response was elicited, mainly in the region of tumor challenge. This cytotoxic reactivity and in vivo resistance to leukemia.lso was completely dependent on T-cells. In addition, macrophage-mediated inhibition of leukemia cell growth in vitro was seen in this system at the time of peak tumor development. The 51Cr release cytotoxicity was specific and directed primarily against an antigen, MEV-SA1, associated with mouse endogenous C-type viruses. The macrophage-induced growth inhibition appeared to be nonspecific. In both the FBL-3 and MSV tumor systems, protection against tumor growth could be adoptively transferred by immune lymphoid cells. In addition to induction of cell-mediated immunity by tumor cell or virus inoculation, cell-mediated cytotoxic reactivity was found to occur naturally in most young mice. This natural killer activity was quite distinct from the experimentally elicited reactions, being mediated by N-cells, a subpopulation of lymphoid cells with no clearly identifiable cell surface markers. The natural cytotoxicity was also directed against antigenic specificities different from those recognized by the MSV-immune cells. The central issue in all of these studies has been to determine the relationships between the in vitro-detected cell-mediated reactivity and in vivo resistance to leukemia.