Biological effects of the adjuvant Corynebacterium parvum. II. Evidence for macrophage-T-cell interaction

The mechanism underlying the markedly reduced PHA responsiveness of spleen and peripheral blood lymphocytes from Corynebacterium parvum-treated mice is due to inhibition of the responsive T-lymphocytes by C. parvum-activated macrophages. Inhibition is a result of a qualitative rather than quantitative change in the macrophage population and GVH-activated macrophages behave similarly. Corynebacterium parvum-activated macrophages need to be viable and will inhibit normal lymphocytes. This inhibitory effect appears to be mediated through cell-cell contact.     

Adjuvant immune stimulation with Corynebacterium parvum during maintenance chemotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia

Of 93 consecutively treated patients with acute myeloid leukemia 36 (39%) achieved complete remission (CR). Thirty-five patients were randomized to receive either maintenance chemotherapy alone (C) or a combination of active nonspecific immunotherapy with Corynebacterium parvum and chemotherapy (C + I). Maintenance therapy was given monthly for 1 year or until relapse. The median survival time was 21 months for patients treated with chemotherapy alone, compared with 30 months for patients treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The median remission duration was 15 months for patients treated with chemotherapy, compared with 18 months for chemotherapy and immunotherapy group. While no statistically significant difference in remission duration or survival time could be attributed to the use of immune stimulation, a plateau of 40% long-term time survivors was defined in the chemotherapy and immunotherapy group. Age and sex were found to be the major prognostic factors for achievement of CR. No difference was found in remission duration or survival between the two different induction schedules. Neither did the morphological subtype of AML (FAB classification) or the leukocyte count at diagnosis correlate with remission rate or survival.     

Cellular suppression of murine ADCC and NK activities induced by Corynebacterium parvum

Summary Administration of a single dose of C. parvum (CP) induces depression of splenic NK activity in mice after a lag period of 3–5 days and this depression lasts about 2 weeks. The depressed levels of NK activity noted in this study depended on time of CP administration and were associated with the induction of suppressor cell activity. Neonatally thymectomized or sublethally irradiated mice had unimpaired ability to generate suppressor cells following CP treatment. Depletion of adherent/phagocytic cells by carbonyl iron plus magnetism, Sephadex G-10 filtration, or both neither enriched NK activity nor removed suppressor activity from the spleens of CP-treated mice. Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against lymphoma targets was also depressed in CP-treated mice, accompanied by a concomitant appearance of suppressor cells that interfere with ADCC at the effector level.     

The distribution and effects of intrapleural Corynebacterium parvum in mice

Summary After intrapleural (IPl) injection of ¹²⁵ I or fluorescein labelled C. parvum, most was confined to the pleural and mediastinal spaces. The pleural phagocytes and mediastinal lymph nodes were heavily labelled, but very little was found in the lung. The amounts of C. parvum taken up by the liver and spleen were less than after IV injection and splenomegaly was also less after IPl than IV injection. A large proportion (>90%) of cells in pleural washouts following IPl C. parvum was activated macrophages which inhibited, nonspecifically, the growth of tumor cells in vitro. No similar activity was detected after IV C. parvum. IPl injection of C. parvum mixed with irradiated tumor cells conferred strong, specific systemic immunity against tumor challenge, and this immunity was also demonstrable using mediastinal lymph node cells in a Winn assay. The immunity resulting from IV C. parvum and IPl irradiated tumor cells was significantly lower. IPl C. parvum has been compared with IV C. parvum for its effect against tumors growing either in the lung or pleural cavity. Tumors growing in the pleural cavity were inhibited more effectively by IPl than IV C. parvum. With tumors growing in the lung (caused by tumor cells injected IV), although IV C. parvum was more effective at reducing the number of lung nodules during the first two weeks, the mice consistently survived longer after IPl C. parvum.M.T.S. is a member of the Ludwig Lung Cancer Study Group. The present work arose out of discussions with other members of the group and is presented on their behalf. The study group is: M. Kaufmann, J. Stjernswärd (Ludwig Institut for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Switzerland), M. Zelen, K. Stanley (Frontier Science and Technology Research Foundation, Inc. Amherst, New York, USA), D. S. Freestone, R. Bomford, M. T. Scott, T. Priestman (The Wellcome Research Laboratories, Beckenham, England), C. Mouritzen, G. Ahlbom (Dept. of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aarhus Kommunehospital, Aarhus, Denmark), N. Konietzko, D. Greschuchna (Ruhrland Klinik, Essen-Haidhausen, Germany), P. Hilgard (Innere Klinik und Poliklinik [Tumorforschung] Essen, Germany), J. Vogt-Moykopf, D. Zeidler, H. Toomes (Thoraxchirurgische Spezial-Klinik, Heidelberg-Rohrbach, Germany), F. Krause, R. Rios (Thoraxchirurgische Abt., Fachkrankenhaus für Lungen-und Bronchialerkrankungen, Löwenstein, Germany), J. Orel, M. Benedik, B. Hrabar (Clinical Center, Dept. of Thoracic Surgery, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia), S. Plesnicar (The Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia), H. A. Rostad, J. R. Vale (Rikshospital, Oslo, Norway), S. Hagen, S. Birkeland, (Ulleval Hospital, Oslo, Norway), T. Harbitz, R. Nissen-Meyer (Aker Hospital, Oslo, Norway), L. Rodriguez, V. O. Björk, K. Böök (Karolinska Sjukhuset, Thoracic Clinic, Stockholm, Sweden), E. Gradel, J. Hasse, P. Holbro (Kantonsspital, Thoraxchirurgische Klinik, Basel, Switzerland), L. Eckmann (Tiefenauspital, Chir. Univ.-Klinik, Bern, Switzerland), B. Nachbur, T. Liechti (Inselspital, Dept. of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Bern, Switzerland), H. Cottier (Inst. of Pathology, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland), W. Maurer, M. Kaufmann, P. Froelicher (Bürgerspital, Surgical Dept., Solothurn, Switzerland), H. Denck, N. Pridun (Krankenhaus der Stadt Wien-Lainz, Chir. Abt., Vienna, Austria), K. Karrer (Institute for Cancer Research, University of Vienna, Austria)Visiting Investigator. Recipient of an American Cancer Society Fellowship     

短小棒状杆菌对小鼠实体瘤及免疫功能的影响

目的研究短小棒状杆菌对H22荷瘤小鼠及其免役功能的影响。方法采用抑瘤实验、小鼠碳廓清实验、MTT法观察短小棒状杆菌对小鼠实体瘤和免疫功能的影响。结果短小棒状杆菌可使荷瘤小鼠的碳廓清指数、胸腺指数、脾脏指数升高,并由刀豆蛋白(ConA)、脂多糖(LPS)诱导体外小鼠T、B淋巴细胞增殖,能够抑制小鼠实体瘤生长。结论短小棒状杆菌能够增强小鼠机体免疫功能,并有抑瘤作用。     

Treatment of malignant ascitic and pleural effusion with Corynebacterium parvum.

Six patients with malignant effusions, five from adenocarcinomas and one from a melanoma, were treated by intrapleural or intraperitoneal Corynebacterium parvum. In each case there was a definite reduction in the effusions with a significant decrease in the number of malignant cells; in most cases the effusions stopped completely. Although none of the patients lived for more than a year after treatment, they were undoubtedly more comfortable, as they no longer required frequent paracentesis. In some cases the patients lived for longer than originally expected in a state in which the quality of life was acceptable.     

不同方法生产的短棒状杆菌生物学活性比较

提高短棒状杆菌疫苗临床疗效,解决接种后局部硬结,发烧等不良副反应。在菌体菌苗的基础上,采用超声、破碎、离心、胰酶消化脱脂的方法提取细胞壁做脾激活抑瘤试验生物学检定。结果显示,纯化的短棒状杆菌细胞壁可使小鼠脾激活指数达到4.06。能抑制艾氏腹水瘤的生长,而菌体脾指数3.18。实验证实,纯化的短棒杆菌细胞壁菌苗的活性好于菌体菌苗。     

Corynebacterium parvum: Effect on radiocurability of murine tumors

Summary In continuation of our earlier studies (Milas et al., 1975c) we have investigated whether treatment of mice with Corynebacterium parvum augments the curative response of a fairly immunogenic fibrosarcoma (FSa) and a weakly immunogenic mammary carcinoma (MDAH-MCa-4) to fractionated v-irradiation. Tumors were 8 mm in diameter at the commencement of radiation treatment. The FSa was exposed to 500 and the MDAH-MCa-4 to 750 rads daily for 3, 6, or 10 consecutive days. The dose of CP was 0.25 mg and was given intravenously (IV), in most experiments within 2 h after the first irradiation dose. In one experiment involving FSa, CP administration varied from 4 days before to 14 days after the start of irradiation. CP greatly augmented FSa radiocurability, especially when applied before irradiation. The effect was evident from the increase in the cure rate, and, in mice that were not cured, from tumor growth retardation, which resulted in prolonged survival of mice. CP also reduced the incidence of pulmonary metastases in mice in which the combination of treatments failed to produce local tumor control. CP was less effective in augmenting radiation response of MDAH-MCa-4. In this case, CP slowed the growth of irradiated tumors and prolonged the survival of mice. The effect of IV CP on FSa radiocurability was not further increased by including intralesional (IL) injection of CP, intraperitoneal (IP) injection of vitamin A, or the radiosensitizer of hypoxic tumor cells misonidazole (Ro-07-0582). Misonidazole, however, significantly improved the effect of 2000 rads on the growth retardation of mammary carcinoma, but CP did not further enhance this effect.     

Activation of human B lymphocytes. IV. Regulatory effects of corticosteroids on the triggering signal in the plaque-forming cell response of human peripheral blood B lymphocytes to polyclonal activation.

In vitro hydrocortisone in physiologic and pharmacologically attainable concentrations caused a marked enhancement of the PWM-induced PFC response of normal human peripheral blood B lymphocytes. This effect was seen only when hydrocortisone was added within the first 24 hr of culture and only when hydrocortisone and PWM were present together in cultures. Only suprapharmacologic concentrations of hydrocortisone (10(-3) M) were capable of suppressing early B cell activation. Late stages of antibody production and secretion were resistant to suppression by even these extraordinarily high concentrations. Hydrocortisone did not replace the T cell requirement of PWM-induced PFC responses. A single dose of in vivo hydrocortisone (400 mg) to normal adult volunteers did not produce this enhancing effect when PFC responses were measured in vitro in the absence of hydrocortisone. The data strongly suggest that the enhancing effect of hydrocortisone was due not to elimination of naturally occurring suppressor cells, but to a modulation of the triggering signal either directly on the B cell itself or via the balance of positive and negative T cell regulation of B cell activation.     

The effects of sodium metaperiodate on T and B lymphocytes.

The differential mitogenic response of T and B lymphocytes to sodium metaperiodate has been investigated. It was found that periodate treatment leads to lymphocyte stimulation in spleen cells from Balb/c mice but not in spleen cells from the congenitally athymic nu/nu mice. In addition, treatment of Balb/c spleen cells with anti-θ serum plus complement lowers the mitogenic response to periodate and to concanavalin A without affecting the response to lipopolysaccharide. These results suggest a requirement for the presence of T lymphocytes in the initiation of a response to periodate. Spleen cells from nude mice also react with periodate, and their ability to respond to B cell mitogens is impaired after treatment with the chemical reagent.     

Role of Corynebacterium parvum in the activation of peritoneal macrophages. II. Identification of distinguishable anti-tumor activities by macrophage subpopulations

Two different mechanisms of murine macrophage (MP) antitumor activity are described in this report. C. parvum-activated peritoneal MPs were tested for cytotoxic and cytostatic activity 4 days after ip immunization. Cytotoxic activity could be distinguished from cytostatic activity using two different assay protocols. When MPs were separated by 1g velocity sedimentation, cytotoxic MPs were confined to high velocity fractions. In contrast, cytostatic MPs were found in cell fractions with velocities as low as 5.2 mm/hr. These two MP activities were also distinguishable by culturing at 37 degrees C for 24 hr. Cytotoxicity was abrogated when MPs were incubated in MEM, or MEM supplemented with lymphokine (LK) or indomethacin. In contrast, cytostasis remained at high levels when the cells were incubated with LK or indomethacin. Cytotoxicity was not retained after overnight culture even if LPS was present, or if various spleen or non-adherent peritoneal exudate cells were cocultured with the cytotoxic effector cells. Assays done to determine the presence of suppressor cells failed to find any inhibitory cell type. The phagocytic index, acid phosphatase activity, and H2O2 secretion were also measured before and after overnight culture. Acid phosphatase and phagocytic activities did not decline whereas H2O2 secretion declined significantly. These data indicate that in response to C. parvum, at least two different effector cell types with distinct antitumor activities are generated. Cytotoxicity, like the ability of cells to secrete H2O2, is found to be a short-lived function of CP stimulated MPs. In contrast, cytostasis is a function retained longer by MPs in culture.     

Effect of Corynebacterium parvum on the immune response in guinea pigs. II. Passive transfer of enhanced anamnestic response and delayed hypersensitivity observed after treatment with Corynebacterium parvum]

After intradermal immunization with a mixture of Corynebacterium parvum (C. parvum) and ovalbumin guinea pigs show a markedly increased anamnestic response to an intradermal booster of ovalbumin as compared to controls treated with ovalbumin only. At the same time a reaction of delayed type hypersensitivity is observed in the treated animals, but not in controls. The enhanced anamnestic response as well as the posivitive skin reaction were transferred to strain 2 histocompatible guinea pigs by peripheral blood leukocytes as well as by peritoneal exudate cells. Passive transfer was not obtained after prior irradiation of donor animals.     

Biological effects of collagen I and IV peptides

Various biological events, such as cell differentiation, cell migration or gene expression, are controlled by cell-cell interactions or by cytokines, as well as by interactions between cells and extracellular matrix. The regulation of these events involves a directed and limited proteolysis of matrix macromolecules, that induces the release of proteic domains and peptides exhibiting biological activities. In this review, we summarise several data from our laboratory showing that peptides from type I and type IV collagens play an important role in the control of inflammation and tumor progression. Type I collagen peptides stimulate respiratory burst, granule exocytosis and cytokine secretion by human leukocytes (polymorphonuclear neutrophils or monocytes) for the detersion of inflammatory sites and then for the chemoattraction of various cell types needed for wound healing. A peptide of the NC1 domain of the alpha 3(IV) collagen chain prevents leukocyte activation. In addition, this peptide is also capable of limiting tumor progression by downregulating in vitro and in vivo invasive properties of melanoma cells.     

Effect of Corynebacterium parvum on the immune response in guinea pigs. I. Mode of enhancement of the anamnestic response and development of delayted hypersensitivity after treatment with Corynebacterium parvum]

The effect of Corynebacterium parvum (C. parvuum) on the immune response of the guinea pig to ovalbumin varies with the protocol of immunization. The marked effect of C. parvum on the anamnestic response in the rabbit has been confirmed in the guinea pig when immunization is carried out intradermally with a mixture of C. parvum and ovalbumin. When C. parvum is given intravenously or subcutaneously or intradermally but separately from the antigen, this effect is not observed. Whatever the route of injection guinea pigs treated with C. parvum show skin reactions of delayed type hypersensitivity at the site of an intradermal booster when the latter is given at least 27 days after primary immunization.