Functional activity in vivo of effector T cell populations. I. Antitumor activity exhibited by allogeneic mixed leukocyte culture cells
Engers, H.D.; Sorenson, G.D.; Terres, G.; Horvath, C.; Brunner, K.T.
Journal of Immunology 129(3): 1292-1298
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 6213710 Document Number: 191385
The in vivo activity of murine cytolytic T lymphocyte-containing effector cell populations generated in vitro was studied in a tumor allograft model system by monitoring the elimination of 131-I-IUdR with whole-body counting techniques. Mice were irradiated sublethally and 16 h later 131I-labeled tumor cells were injected either s.c. or i.p. Simultaneously, graded doses of various effector cell populations were injected i.v. and the mice were counted daily to assess the potential elimination of the radiolabeled tumor cells. Allogeneic 2.degree. mixed leukocyte culture cells eliminated allogeneic but not syngeneic tumor cells in a dose-dependent manner, with as few as 0.2 .times. 106 effector cells causing significant destruction of 2 .times. 106 allogeneic tumor cells. The protective effect of the mixed leukocyte culture cells was considerably reduced when Lyt-2+-bearing lymphocytes were eliminated by treatment with monoclonal antibody plus complement. In additional experiments, Lyt-2+ lymphocytes positively selected by enrichment on antibody-coated petri dishes gave efficient protection, in the absence of Lyt-2- cells. When several different clones, specific long-term allogeneic cytolytic T cell lines were injected either i.p. or i.v., tumor cell destruction was observed only after i.p. injection.