T and B lymphocyte migration into syngeneic tumors

Abstract

The migration of splenic T and B lymphocytes into syngeneic tumors undergoing immunologic rejection was investigates. Spleen cells were obtained from normal BALC/c mice or BALB/c mice bearing tumors induced by murine sarcoma virus (MSV). Either whole spleen cells or immunoabsorbent purified T and B cells were radiolabeled with sodium chromate-51 and injected i.v. into normal or MSV inducted-tumor bearing syngeneic recipients. Twenty-four hours later the recipient mice were sacrificed and radioactivity was assessed for tumor, contralateral normal muscle, the lymph nodes draining the tumor and contralateral draining lymph nodes, peripheral lymph nodes, spleen, and liver. Both T and B lymphocytes from either normal or MSV tumor-bearing animals show greatly increased migration into the tumor when compared with normal muscle. Migration of T cells from both normal and MSV tumor bearers was 30 times that of migration to normal muscle. B cells from tumor-bearing mice, on the other hand, localized in the tumor itself only 50% as frequently as did B cells from normal animals. In addition, T cells from MSV tumor bearers were found in the highest proportion in the lymph node draining the tumor site. We conclude that T and B lymphocytes from either normal or tumor-bearing mice migrate to a syngeneic tumor undergoing immunologic rejection. In contrast, the migration of both T and B cells from tumor-bearing animals was decreased to the peripheral lymph nodes at the time of maximum tumor growth.