Cellular immunity against tumor‐associated antigens in humans: Lymphocyte stimulation and skin reaction

Abstract

Abstract 3 M KCl‐extracts prepared from human tumors (14 sarcoma, 2 astrocytoma, 3 Wilm's nephroblastoma and 1 melanoma) and from non‐malignant tissues (8 muscle, 4 skin, 2 cartilage, 1 kidney, 2 brain and 1 bone marrow) have been used to stimulate autohgous and allogeneic lymphocytes and as antigen in autologous skin tests. The results of the lymphocyte stimulation by autologous tumor‐biopsy cells and their KCl‐extracts were concordant. Moreover, these in vitro results correlated well with the in vivo immune reactivity indicated by skin tests. Tumor‐cell suspensions were weak allogeneic stimulators, and KCl‐extracts were stimulatory only after presensitization. When a tumor‐cell sample and its KCl‐preparation were used in autologous and 11 allogeneic tests the degree of autologous stimulation with tumor cells was as high as the highest allogeneic one and the KCl‐extract stimulated the autologous lymphocytes to the same degree. The results strengthen the validity of the lymphocyte stimulation test as an assay for tumor‐specific reaction.