Cellular immunity to renal carcinomas in man

Abstract

Abstract A microassay in disposable tissue‐culture plates was used to demonstrate a cell‐mediated immune response against human renal adenocarcinomas. Leukocytes from 12 of the 19 patients with renal carcinoma were cytotoxic for autochthonous and allogeneic renal carcinoma cells in vitro . No reproducible cytotoxic effects were produced by leukocyte suspensions from patients with pulmonary or mammary carcinoma, or by leukocytes from healthy and non‐neoplastic control subjects. No cytotoxicity was observed when cells of unrelated tumours, mesothelioma and urinary bladder carcinoma were used as target cells for leukocytes from a patient who reacted positively against autochthonous renal carcinoma cells. The results indicate that human renal adenocarcinomas possess tumour‐associated antigens which cross‐react with each other. Cytological and electron microscopic characteristics of cultivated renal carcinoma cells are described.