[Immune reactions in malnutrition and aflatoxin blastomogenesis]

Experiments were made on 80 male Wistar rats kept for 210 days on the common (respectively restricted protein) diet and exposed to aflatoxin intoxication. Humoral immunity was elucidated by qualitative and semi-quantitative immunoelectrophoretic analysis of the IgG and IgM levels, as was the presence of circulating autoantibodies in the test animals' serum. At the end of the experiments the development of leiomyosarcomas was noted in the absence of primary neoplastic transformation in the liver. The tumors were less incident in the animals kept on the low-grade diet than in those kept on the full-value diet. Immunoassay revealed the presence of humoral immunity inhibition under malnutrition. During protein deficiency there were no circulating autoantibodies against mesenchymal tissue antigens which were found in the serum of the animals fed ad libitum. It is assumed that immune deficiency in malnutrition is also accompanied by inhibition of the so-called enhancement phenomenon in the course of aflatoxin blastomogenesis. It is likely that the immunological mechanisms cited have an effect on the histogenesis as well as on the development of aflatoxin tumors.