Tumor bearer T cells suppress BCG-potentiated antitumor responses: I. Requirements for their effect

Abstract

Mice bearing established syngeneic tumors fail to reject them when immunized according to protocols based on optimal conditions for BCG potentiation of specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and antitumor immunity. Serum factors from mice bearing either the poorly immunogenic mastocytoma, P815 (MA), or the more antigenic sarcoma, Meth A, have been shown to depress both DTH and antitumor immunity. This report demonstrates that lymphoid cells adoptively transferred from these tumor-bearing hosts also can suppress the efferent and afferent phases of DTH to tumor-specific antigens in both BCG-primed and unprimed syngeneic hosts. Suppressor cells (SC) were detected in spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes draining the tumor site, but not in distant superficial lymph nodes. Maximal suppressor activity apeared 6 days after tumor implantation and waned by 18 days. Suppression of the afferent phase of both the BCG-primed and unprimed responses was antigen specific; suppression of the efferent phase of the BCG-primed response was also specific but SC could partially suppress the unprimed responses to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Amputation of 6-day-old tumors resulted in the disappearance of splenic SC within 2 days but did not affect SC in draining lymph nodes. SC suppressed DTH in a dose-dependent manner but even the highest doses tested did not totally eliminate the response. Depression of the peak DTH reaction was not accompanied by significant abrogation of antitumor activity. If, however, SC were transferred during the ongoing antitumor response, immunity was partially suppressed. Efferentphase SC were sensitive to treatment with anti-Thy 1 sera and complement but were unaffected by B-cell depletion.