ROLE OF CELL-MEDIATED-IMMUNITY IN TUMOR-ERADICATION BY HYPERTHERMIA

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 41  (4) , 1301-1305
Abstract
A single hyperthermic treatment (44.5.degree. C for 20 min), which results in successful local control of a 7-day intradermally growing [methylcholanthrene-induced Meth-A] cells in intact mice, fails to permanently control tumor growth in immunodeficient nu/nu (BALB/c) or immunosuppressed (whole-body radiation, 500 rad) mice. Whether humoral or cellular-mediated factors were responsible, was studied. Nude mice were reconstituted with heterozygotic (nu/+) sensitized or nonsensitized splenic T cells. Semi-syngeneic immunosuppressed BALB/c .times. C57BL/6 F1 hybrids were reconstituted with homologous sensitized and nonsensitized T cells or sera prior to hyperthermic treatment of a 7 day intradermal Meth-A implant. Successful local tumor control by hyperthermia was effected in those animals reconstituted with .gtoreq. 1.8 .times. 107 splenic T cells but not in those with sera. The inhibition of macrophage activity (chronic silica, i.p.) could substitute for whole-body radiation immunosuppression. A thermally induced tumor cure appears to be mediated by an activated macrophage-antigen-T cell interaction which may be dependent on the initial expression of cell-mediated antitumor immunity that may be generated only in response to immunogenic tumors.