Immunosuppression by the radiation leukemia virus and its relation to lymphatic leukemia development

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Abstract
The immune response of C57BL/6 mice following intra‐thymic injection of the radiation leukemia virus was tested. A marked depression in plaque‐forming capacity of the 19S type to sheep red cells was observed in adult intact and thymectomized mice inoculated with the virus 5–60 days prior to the immunization. Serum hemagglutinin titers were depressed as well, but to a lesser degree.The radiation leukemia virus did not significantly depress cell‐mediated immunity. Tests for prolongation of skin allograft survival, allogeneic tumor takes and graft‐versus‐host reactivity (Simonsen's test) were used as parameters for the evaluation of defects in cellular immunity.No correlation was found between the immunosuppressive effect of the radiation leukemia virus and lymphatic leukemia development.It is proposed that the decrease observed, with aging, in the immune response of normal C57BL mice, to sheep red cells, is due to the radiation leukemia virus that is present during post‐natal life in non‐irradiated C57BL mice, and that its titer increases with aging.