ROLE OF THE SPLEEN IN PASSIVE IMMUNOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENT

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Abstract
Experiments were carried out to investigate the role of the spleen in the production of enhancing antisera and the participation of the host humoral response in passive immunological enhancement. Enhancement of sarcoma 180 was readily obtained with sera from sham-operated mice immunized with live tumor grafts. Sera from splenectomized mice immunized similarly were significantly less effective in this regard. Immunization with tumor homogenates, given at doses known to cause active enhancement of sarcoma 180, yielded sera which failed to transfer enhancement passively. The induction of tumor enhancement with certain doses of antisera was markedly dependent on the presence of the spleen in the recipient animals. At a smaller dose of antisera the degree of enhancement was lower and not affected by the presence or absence of the spleen in the recipient animals. It is concluded that the spleen is essential for the production of enhancing antibodies. In passive immunological enhancement the host spleen-dependent humoral response may play a role and, therefore, that the immunizing capacity of the tumor may be an important factor in the mechanism of this phenomenon.