Evidence for the generation of suppressor cells by ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

The majority of murine skin tumor induced with ultraviolet (uv) light are unique in that they are of sufficient antigenicity to be consistently rejected when transplanted into normal syngeneic animals. However, the exposure of normal syngeneic mice to subcarcinogenic levels of uv prior to tumor transfer results in the progressive growth of transplanted uv-tumors. We report that normal mice can also be rendered tumor susceptible by the adoptive transfer of lymphoid cells from either tumor bearing or short term uv exposed donors. Further, the adoptive transfer of tumor susceptibility can be abolished by the pretreatment of cell suspensions from uv exposed donors with anti-theta and complement. These results suggest that uv irradiation may generate the development of T lymphocytes with suppressor activity.