Suppressor pathways in tumor immunity: a requirement for Qa-1 positive tumor-bearer spleen T cells in suppression of the afferent immune response to tumor antigens

Cyclophosphamide-dependent lymph node modification in lymph node metastasis of MM48 tumor cells in syngeneic mice

We investigated the role of immunosuppressive activity induced in the regional lymph nodes (RLN, popliteal lymph nodes) in the establishment of lymph node metastasis by cyclophosphamide (CY) administration. The CY treatment led to the elimination of suppressive activity with the appearance of positive immune responses, and the inhibition of lymph node metastasis of MM48 tumor cells. In CY-treated mice, the removal of RLN together with the primary tumor lowered the survival rate compared with the mice in which the RLN remained intact. During 4 days after primary tumor resection, the proliferation of tumor cells in the RLN was significantly decreased in CY-treated mice. These results suggested that the induction of suppressive activity in the lymph node is closely associated with the establishment of lymph node metastasis.

Role of T suppressor cells in the cycling of the immune response against a murine fibrosarcoma

Antitumor immunity against a fibrosarcoma in C57BL/6 mice was obtained by means of a semi-allogenic somatic hybrid cell derived from the fusion of this C57BL/6 fibrosarcoma (MCB6-1) and A9 cells of C3H origin. In a Winn assay, this immunity could be transferred by T lymphocytes to normal C57BL/6 recipient mice during an early and a late phase after immunization. There appeared to be a transient non-responsive period during which no immunity could be transferred. Injection of cyclophosphamide (CY) into mice before immunization increased the level of immunity during this period, and reconstitution of animals with normal spleen cells abolished the effect of CY. During the non-responsive period, suppressor cells were demonstrated in the spleen: the i.v. transfer of these suppressor cells to normal mice significantly inhibited the induction of antitumor immunity; the suppressive effect was transferred by T lymphocytes of the Lyt-2+ phenotype. No suppressive effect on antitumor protection was observed when suppressor cells were transferred simultaneously with immune T lymphocytes in the Winn assay. From these findings, it appears that T-suppressor cells regulate the antitumor response, interfering with the afferent (induction) arm of the immune response.

Suppressor mechanisms in tumor immunity

There are many parallels between T cell-mediated suppression of tumor immunity and suppression of immune responses to haptens and polypeptides. We propose a cell interaction model which takes this into account and outlines a regulatory pathway for suppression of immunity to tumor antigens. Free antigen or antigen/antibody complexes trigger an inducer T cell subset, Tsi, which is tumor-specific. This cell activates a non-immune T cell population, pre Tse, to generate effector suppressor cells, Tse. The Tse are specific for either the idiotype of Tsi or for antigen complexed with a soluble factor made by the Tsi, but the suppression they mediate is antigenically nonspecific. Tumor antigen-specific suppressor factors, TsF, play a major role in the communication between different suppressor cells. Characterization of polyclonal and monoclonal factors produced by Tsi, called TsFi, indicates that they both bind to tumor antigen and contain tumor-specific (idiotypic?) determinants.