Immunity and Viral Carcinogenesis. Effect of Thymectomy on Polyoma Virus Carcinogenesis in Mice

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Abstract
In this study of the importance of immune factors in carcinogenesis, the immunologic capabilities of the host were impaired by thymectomy of newborn C57BL/6JN and C3H/Bi mice. After thymectomy, the C57BL/6JN strain, known to be resistant to the polyoma virus, received injections of the highly oncogenic strain S polyoma virus. Thymectomized C3H/Bi mice, highly susceptible to the oncogenic effect of the polyoma virus, received injections of the weakly oncogenic strain M polyoma virus. Sham-operated mice of both strains were given the corresponding virus injections. In both experiments the thymectomized animals developed a significantly greater number of tumors than did the sham-operated controls. The significance of this impairment of host immune factors in increasing host susceptibility to viral carcinogenesis and the oncogenic activity of the polyoma virus is discussed.

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