Ultraviolet light induces tumors with both unique and host-associated antigenic specificities

Murine tumors induced by ultraviolet light (UV) are immunogenic in syngeneic and semi-syngeneic hosts, evoking antibody of several different specificities. Cytotoxic antibody specific for the immunizing syngeneic tumor (tumor-specific antigen) comprises the early response and a minor portion of the later response of C3H and C3H.SW mice. It is the primary specificity to which C57BL/6 and C57BL/10 hosts respond. The major portion of the antibody produced by C3H and C3H.SW against syngeneic tumors cross-reacts strongly with other tumors, both UV and chemically induced, arising in C3H and C3H.SW but not in B6.H2k, C57BL/6, C57BL/10, or (C3H X B6)F1. Normal adult cells or embryonic fibroblasts do not cross-react with the antisera. These results are interpreted as evidence for the involvement of a host component (non-MHC) in this tumor-associated antigen (TAA). (C3H X B6)F1 and (C3H X BALB/c)F1 hosts respond to C3H tumors with antibody with cross-reactive specificities identical to those of the C3H and C3H.SW hosts. thus detecting the TAA(C3H) specificity. (C3H X B6)F1 hosts respond to syngeneic F1 tumors, however, with a totally cross-reactive antibody that is interpreted as evidence for the existence of a common antigen in addition to the evident immune response control. An undetected TAA (B6) specificity in the (C3H X B6)F1 tumors is speculatively proposed.