In vivo resistance of secondary antitumor immune response to cyclophosphamide: effects on T cell subsets.

• Abstract: We have analyzed the effects of high doses of cyclophosphamide (Cy) on primary and secondary antitumor immune response against immunogenic (tum-) variants of Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) treated in vitro with UV light. Normal mice and mice previously immunized with tum- clones wer inoculated i.p. with Cy (200 mg/kg body weight) and 24 h later challenged intrafootpad with tum- or parental 3LL cells. Cy treatment suppressed the primary immune response of normal animals and allowed the growth of tum- cells. In contrast, Cy-treated immune mice rejected the tumor challenge. The in vivo treatment with Cy decreased the total number of lymphoid cells in the spleens, as well as the proportion of B lymphocytes; however, it increased the percentage of both Lyt2+ and L3T4+ lymphocytes. Thus, the immunosuppressive effects of Cy on the primary antitumor response could not be attributed to elimination of major T lymphocyte subpopulations. Although the treatment of immune mice with Cy did not significantly impair their antitumor resistance, nor the proportion of Lyt2+ and L3T4+ lymphocytes in their spleens, the in vitro generation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) was markedly reduced. After Cy treatment, the proliferative ability of spleen cells in response to interleukin-2 (IL-2) was substantially impaired. Using monoclonal antibodies to the IL-2 receptor, we found that Cy-treated T lymphocytes failed to fully express the IL-2 receptor following in vitro stimulation with irradiated tumor cells. In line with these findings, the in vitro generation of CTL was not restored by addition of recombinant IL-2 to the cultures. In vivo experiments using purified functional subsets of immune T cells showed that Lyt1+, but not Lyt2+ lymphocytes were able to transfer antitumor immunity in normal irradiated recipients. Therefore, since Ly1+ T lymphocytes were responsible for the antitumor resistance in vivo, the Cy-induced impairment of CTL generation did not affect the ability of immune mice to reject a secondary tumor challenge.
• Authors: S Peppoloni, B J Mathieson, R B Herberman, R W Overton, E Gorelik
• Journal: Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII (Cancer Immunol Immunother) Vol. 24 Issue 1 Pg. 49-56 ( 1987) ISSN: 0340-7004 [Print] GERMANY, WEST
• PMID: 2949833 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Interleukin-2
• Recombinant Proteins
• Cyclophosphamide

Topics

• Animals
• B-Lymphocytes (drug effects, immunology)
• Cyclophosphamide (pharmacology)
• Cytotoxicity, Immunologic (drug effects)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunization, Passive
• Interleukin-2 (pharmacology)
• Lung Neoplasms (immunology)
• Lymphocyte Activation (drug effects)
• Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Recombinant Proteins (pharmacology)
• T-Lymphocytes (classification, drug effects, immunology)