Immune response to a syngeneic mammary adenocarcinoma. II. In vitro generation of cytotoxic lymphocytes.

A method is described for the consistent in vitro generation cytotoxic cells by incubating Fischer 344 rat spleen cells on monolayers of a syngeneic mammary adenocarcinoma. Significant cytotoxicity by in vitro culture is generated as early as 3 days after initiation and effector cells are cytolytic only toward target cells of the sensitizing monolayer. Reciprocal sensitization with allogeneic fibroblasts as the immunizing monolayer yielded effector cells cytolytic for the fibroblasts but without effect on the mammary tumor. The consistency in the generation of cytotoxic cells by in vitro culture should permit its standardized use in following other related immune phenomena such as blocking by serologic factors and suppression, recritment of memory for cytotoxic function.     

Generation of cytolytic T lymphocytes in vitro. X. Induction of primary and secondary CTL responses by the mitogen sodium periodate.

Short-term (15 min) sodium periodate (NaIO4) treatment of mouse spleen cells previously primed in vivo or in vitro against alloantigens induced the formation of secondary (2 degree) cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) specific for the priming antigens. CTL formation was readily demonstrable within 24 hr after treatment.This early CTL response occurred equally well in the presence or absence of cytosine arabinoside (Ara C), indicating that NaIO4 could induce CTL independently of DNA synthesis. Forty-eight hours after periodate treatment, the lytic activity was similar to that observed in parallel cultures stimulated with irradiated allogeneic spleen cells, although the peak activity was reached earlier (day 4) and was somewhat lower than that induced by alloantigen. The addition of irradiated NaIO4-treated unprimed syngeneic spleen cells to cultures of untreated alloimmune spleen cells also led to CTL formation, which suggests an indirect mechanism of activation. In contrast to alloimmune spleen cells, normal spleen cells treated with NaIO4 developed only very low levels of cytotoxicity after 4 days of incubation. However, in the presence of PHA, such cells were capable of lysing syngeneic and allogeneic target cells.     

T cell memory for the cytotoxic response to hapten-modified target cells.

This study describes the development of memory and cytotoxic murine T cells against syngeneic haptne N equals[N-(3-nitro-4-hydroxy-5-iodophenyl-acetyl)-Beta-alanylglycylglycyl] associated antigen. Memory activity in this system had the following characteristics. a) In vitro challenged cells primed in vivo resulted in an augmented cytotoxic response compared to cells primed in vitro. b) The augmented cytotoxic response in vitro was antigen-specific for both target cells in the lytic reaction and stimulator cells in the secondary response. c) Memory activity was long lasting (at least 2 months). d) Memory cells were not cytotoxic. e) Memory activity as well as the cytotoxic cells generated in a secondary response in vitro were T cell dependent, These findings are consistent with the results of others who have investigated T cell dependent memory in other cell-mediated reactions.     

Effects of in vivo priming on in vitro induction of cytotoxicity. I. Non-specific augmentation by in vivo presensitization with allogeneic or xenogeneic cells.

In vivo presensitization of donor mice of responding cells with third party cellular antigens augmented in vitro generation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in allogeneic and xenogeneic combinations. In vitro induction of detectable cytotoxicity in presensitized responding cells required the incubation period needed for in vitro primary response. However, such cytotoxic T lymphocytes were generated after in vitro stimulation with monolayers of methylcholanthrene-induced tumor cells, UV-irradiated or heated spleen cells which had proved to be effective in secondary but not in primary response. Presensitized responding cells exposed to 600R-irradiation did not augment in vitro induction of cytotoxicity in normal responding cells. The augmenting effect of presensitized responding cells may be attributable to radiosensitive T cells which are in a transitional state in differentiation from typical unprimed cells to typical primed cells.     

Suppression of the in vitro secondary response to syngeneic tumor and of in vivo tumor therapy with immune cells by culture-induced suppressor cells.

Mice with advanced disseminated syngeneic tumor can be successfully treated with a combination of chemotherapy and adoptively transferred syngeneic immune cells. We have previously demonstrated that in vivo primed cells secondarily sensitized in vitro became more effective in tumor therapy, whereas primed cells cultured for 5 days without tumor stimulation became less effective than an equal number of uncultured fresh primed cells. Therefore, we examined stimulated and unstimulated cultures of tumor-primed cells for the presence of culture-induced suppressor cells, and determined whether in vivo tumor therapy with immune cells could be inhibited by concurrent inoculation of immune effector cells and cultured normal spleen cells, which contain culture-induced suppressor cells but are devoid of additional effector cells. The in vitro primary allogeneic response was suppressed by cultured normal spleen cells, or tumor-primed spleen cells previously cultured for 5 days with or without tumor stimulation. In vitro secondary sensitization to syngeneic tumor was suppressed by normal or tumor-primed cells that had previously been cultured for 5 days without stimulation. The majority of this suppression was mediated by T cells in the cultured populations. The efficacy of fresh tumor-primed cells, as well as primed cells secondarily sensitized in vitro, in adoptive chemoimmunotherapy of advanced tumor was diminished by concurrent inoculation of cultured normal cells. The cells mediating suppression of in vivo therapy required previous in vitro culture for induction, and were radiation sensitive.     

Generation of suppressor lymphocytes during sensitization in culture against a syngeneic tumor: affinity chromatography on insolubilized histamine

We investigated the effect of depletion of histamine-binding lymphoid cells on immunological properties of lymphocytes sensitized in culture against tumor cells. C57BL/6 spleen cells that were sensitized in vitro on monolayers of the syngeneic Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) became cytotoxic to the tumor cells in vitro after 3 to 5 days of sensitization. Sensitized cells harvested after 4 days of sensitization occasionally enhanced tumor growth in vivo. Fractionation of the sensitized lymphocytes over insolubilized histamine-rabbit serum albumin-Sepharose (HRS) columns decreased or abolished the enhancing activity in vivo and specifically increased the in vitro cytotoxic activity of the depleted lymphocytes. A similar increase in the cytotoxic activity of HRS-fractionated cells was observed in an allogeneic combination of C57BL spleen cells sensitized against C3H fibroblasts. The effect of HRS chromatography on the in vitro cytotoxic activity increased with prolonged incubation of the depleted effector cells with the target cells.     

The cytolytic T lymphocyte response to trinitrophenyl-modified syngeneic cells. I. Evidence for antigen-specific helper T cells.

Mice were primed subcutaneously with trinitrophenyl (TNP)-modified syngeneic spleen cells. Seven days later, spleen cells from these in vivo primed mice, or spleen cells from naive mice, were co-cultured with TNP-modified syngeneic cells. Spleen cells from the in vivo primed mice demonstrated augmented cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity. The spleens of these in vivo primed mice contained a population of radioresistant, antigen-specific, helper T cells. Specifically, spleen cells from these mice, after x-irradiation, were able to augment the in vitro CTL response of normal spleen cells to TNP-modified syngeneic cells.     

Cell-mediated immunity to friend virus-induced leukemia. IV. In vitro generation of primary and secondary cell-mediated cytotoxic responses.

Primary and secondary cell-mediated cytotoxic responses to FBL-3 cells, a syngeneic Friend virus-induced leukemia in C57BL/6 mice, could be generated by in vitro techniques as tested by the 125IUdR release assay. The specificity of the cytotoxic reactions appeared to be directed against the Friend type-specific antigen and the FMR (Friend, Moloney, Rauscher) antigen which were also the major antigens for transplantation immunity to FBL-3. In comparison to the primary cytotoxic response, the secondary cytotoxic response was accelerated (detected at an earlier time after sensitization), enhanced (gave much higher levels of cytotoxicity), was also longer lasting, and could be induced by a wide dose range of tumor cells. The secondary response could only be induced with lymphocytes obtained from regressors that were resistant to FBL-3 challenge; lymphocytes from mice with progressive tumor growth had no detectable secondary response. It was found that both induction phase and the effector phase of cytotoxic responses were T cell dependent. The characteristics of these reactions were thus very similar to those obtained with in vivo immunization or challenge, providing a good correlation with in vivo tumor immunity.     

Transition in the character of immunological memory in mice after immunization. II. Memory in T and B cell populations.

Teh immunological memory in antibody response of mice to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated at the level of antibody-producing cells or their precursor B cells and thymus-dependent helper T cells. Spleen cells obtained from mice previously primed with alum-precipitated BSA at various times were transferred to irradiated syngeneic mice. Spleen cells from mice immunized 8 days or 64 days before presented a high degree of adoptive secondary response, whereas the adoptive response of cells from mice immunized 2 days previously was found to be inferior even to that of unprimed spleen cells. Primed spleen cells treated with anti-mouse thymocyte rabbit serum plus complement were supplemented with normal thymus cells and the restoration of the responsiveness was examined. It was suggested that the memory was carried mainly by T cells in the earlier phases of the immunological memory (2 days or 8 days after the primary immunization). On the other hand, the immunological memory in the B-cell population was shown to grow gradually toward the later phase (later than 40 days).     

Determinant specific suppression of antigen-induced T cell proliferation in the guinea pig. I. Quantitation of suppressed antigen-specific T cell responses as a consequence of prior exposure to antigen in incomplete Freund's adjuvant

We have asked whether a correlation exists between T cell proliferation and the in vivo suppression of delayed type hypersensitivity observed after administration of antigen in incomplete Freund's adjuvant before exposure to antigen in complete Freund's adjuvant. We find that in vivo suppression is indeed paralleled by diminished in vitro responsiveness to the immunogen. Suppression of T cell proliferation is antigen-specific, dependent upon prior immunization of antigen in IFA, and can be transferred adaptively into unprimed but not primed animals by lymphoid cells from actively suppressed syngeneic donors.     

Broadly reactive murine cytotoxic cells induced in vitro under syngeneic conditions

Mouse spleen cells became cytotoxic in short-term 51Cr-release assays for a wide variety of target cells after 5 days of culture in vitro with polyinosinic acid in a system that was otherwise entirely syngeneic. This study characterizes these effector cells with respect to target specificity, effect of donor age, time course of their appearance, mouse strain differences, and expression of differentiation antigens Thy-1, Lyt-1, Lyt-2, NK-1, and asialo GM1. The combination of properties of this cytotoxic cell response that make it unique are that a) the broadly reactive cytotoxic activity developed from unprimed spleen cells in the absence of either foreign cells or foreign serum; b) the response did not peak until 4 to 5 days of culture in vitro; c) the broad reactivity pattern included freshly dispersed primary syngeneic sarcoma cells and cultured syngeneic fibroblasts but did not include syngeneic lymphoblast target cells; d) the response was largely monoclonal as defined by target cell binding; and e) cytotoxic cell activity was sensitive in complement-mediated treatments to both anti-NK and anti-theta but not to anti-Lyt-2, anti-Lyt-1, or anti-asialo GM1. Both high- and low-responding mouse strains have been identified.     

Macrophage-mediated in vitro sensitization of lymphocytes

Summary Antigen-fed macrophages were able to induce specific sensitization of unprimed syngeneic lymphocytes in vitro. The sensitized lymphocytes caused specific injury to target cells that carried the relevant antigens. In the present study, we investigated the in vivo activity of lymphocytes sensitized by antigen-fed macrophages. Mouse spleen cells were sensitized by macrophages that had been exposed to the radiation leukemia virus (RadLV). The sensitized lymphocytes, which were enriched for T-cells, were injected to syngeneic normal recipients and 4 days later the mice were challenged with RadLV-induced lymphoma cells. By following tumor growth and survival of mice, we have found that the sensitized lymphocytes protected the recipient mice against lymphoma development if injected 4 days before the tumor cells. The protective activity of the sensitized lymphocytes was radioresistant, but they could not protect irradiated hosts. It is suggested that macrophagemediated in vitro sensitization of lymphocytes induces initiator cells that can protect the recipient host by recruitment of a defensive immune response.     

Transition in the Character of Immunological Memory in Mice after Immunization

The immunological memory in antibody response of mice to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated at the level of antibody-producing cells or their precursor B cells and thymus-dependent helper T cells. Spleen cells obtained from mice previously primed with alum-precipitated BSA at various times were transferred to irradiated syngeneic mice. Spleen cells from mice immunized 8 days or 64 days before presented a high degree of adoptive secondary response, whereas the adoptive response of cells from mice immunized 2 days previously was found to be inferior even to that of unprimed spleen cells. Primed spleen cells treated with anti-mouse thymocyte rabbit serum plus complement were supplemented with normal thymus cells and the restoration of the responsiveness was examined. It was suggested that the memory was carried mainly by T cells in the earlier phases of the immunological memory (2 days or 8 days after the primary immunization). On the other hand, the immunological memory in the B-cell population was shown to grow gradually toward the later phase (later than 40 days).     

Inability of choleragenoid-sensitized cells to induce T cell-mediated cytolysis.

Murine splenocytes and tumor cells bind cholera enterotoxoid (choleragenoid). Four hours after sensitization, choleragenoid-coated cells were lysed in the presence of anti-cholergenoid serum and complement, indicating that the binding was stable. Choleragenoid-coated cells were unable to sensitize spleen cells from normal or choleragenoid primed syngeneic mice into displaying a cytotoxic effect against choleragenoid-coated target cells in the T cell-mediated cytotoxicity assay. Cells coated with both choleragenoid and trinitrophenyl (TNP) groups did sensitize syngeneic spleen cells to display a cytotoxic effect against target cells bearing choleragenoid and TNP or TNP alone, but not choleragenoid alone. These data demonstrate that the mere binding of a foreign component to lymphoid cells is not sufficient to allow sensitization of cytotoxic T cells.     

Generation of cytotoxic lymphocytes in vitro: response of immune rat spleen cells to a syngeneic gross virus-induced lymphoma in mixed lymphocyte-tumor culture.

Spleen cells from W/Fu rats 4 to 6 weeks after immunization with syngeneic Gross virus-induced lymphoma (C58NT)D cells usually lack detectable activity in a short-term 51Cr release assay. The results presented here demonstrate that these spleen cells retain the capacity to generate significant proliferative and cytotoxic activity upon re-exposure to mitomycin C-treated (C58NT)D cells in vitro. Optimal conditions were defined in W/Fu rats for this secondary immune response in vitro to the (C58NT)D cells. The cytotoxic response was observed to be quantitative, reproducible, and specific. Optimal generation occurred 5 days after initiation of cultures with a 30:1 responding cell:stimulating cell ratio. In vitro generated cytotoxic cells inhibit tumor growth in vivo when administered as a mixture with tumor cells.     

Evolution of alloantibodies and suppressor cells in allografted mice treated for passive enhancement

The kinetics and quality of the alloimmune reaction were studied in CBA (H-2k) mice treated for passive enhancement of tumor allografts (Sa 1 indigenous of A/J (H-2a or H-2k/d) mice). Serum samples of treated animals were tested for their biological properties relevant to different antibody isotypes in vitro (hemagglutination, complement-dependent cytotoxicity, and anaphylaxis, i.e., mast cell degranulation involving all main Ig isotypes; IgM, IgG2, and IgG1, IgE, respectively) as well as in vivo (allograft enhancement). Spleen cells from these treated animals were examined for their capacity to interfere with the rejection of tumor allografts by adoptive transfers into syngeneic recipients. In vitro, 51Cr release cytolysis assays were performed in order to test their cytolytic and regulatory activities in comparison to rejecting control animals. It has been shown that: grafted mice, pretreated for passive enhancement, kept their grafts longer and synthetized anaphylactic antibodies (mainly IgG1) earlier and at higher titers than normal serum controls, which rejected the same Sa 1 allografts. Mice with enhanced tumors synthetized cytotoxic antibodies (mainly IgG2) later than rejecting controls. Serum samples from treated and control animals, harvested 10 days (early sera) and 30 days (late sera) after grafting, were injected with a "normal dose" (0.2 ml) and a "high" dose (0.4 ml) to new CBA recipients grafted with Sa 1. Early immune sera were only enhancing at high doses when derived from animals previously treated for enhancement (at the low dose both immune sera were enhancing). Late sera, presenting both complement-fixing, cytotoxic (predominantly IgG2), and IgG1 anaphylactic alloantibodies in the two groups, induced enhancement in all cases, but more strongly when derived from the group treated for Sa 1 enhancement. Adoptive transfer of spleen cells from animals treated for passive enhancement were able either to inhibit the accelerated rejection (Day 10) or to promote enhancement of Sa 1 allogeneic cells (Day 30) while similar cells taken (Day 10 and Day 30) from control graft-rejecting mice transferred accelerated rejection. Among the transferred T-cell sub-populations, the suppressive effect was mediated by Lyt 2 T cells. In vitro, these spleen cells showed a weaker cytolytic activity than those of allograft-rejecting mice. Moreover, they were able to regulate the cytolytic activity of cytotoxic effector cells from specifically immunized CBA mice.     

The cytolytic T lymphocyte response to trinitrophenyl-modified syngeneic cells. II. Evidence for antigen-specific suppressor T cells.

The subcutaneous administration of trinitrophenyl (TNP)-coupled syngeneic cells 7 days before co-culture with TNP-coupled syngeneic stimulator cells results in increased cytolytic activity. This augmented cytotoxic response has been shown to be dependent, at least partially, on radioresistant "helper" T cells. In this paper we have demonstrated that TNBS-generated suppressor T cells that are capable of suppressing contact sensitivity can specifically suppress the augmented response seen after subcutaneous priming. The i.v. administration of TNP-coupled cells results in priming of the recipient; however, if cells from these animals are transferred to a second recipient, there is evidence of suppressor activity. Thus, the cytotoxic T lymphocyte response is controlled by the same type of complex interactions previously demonstrated for humoral and delayed-type hypersensitivity responses.     

Sensitization of T lymphocytes in vitro by syngeneic macrophages fed with tumor antigens.

We investigated the interaction between T lymphocytes and macrophages in the vitro sensitization of lymphocytes against tumor cells. Spleen cells were sensitized in vitro by syngeneic peritoneal macrophages that had been fed with cell-free antigen preparation of syngeneic tumor cells. The sensitized T lymphocytes acquired specific cytotoxic cells. The sensitized T lymphocytes acquired specific cytotoxic activity in vitro and the capacity to inhingeneic fibroblasts, or the antigen preparation by itself were not able to sensitize the lymphocytes against the tumor.     

Anti-idiotypic mechanisms involved in suppression of a mouse B cell lymphoma, BCL1

Immunization of BALB/c mice with idiotypic IgM rescued by hybridization from the syngeneic BCL1 lymphoma protects specifically against challenge with tumor cells, with 83% surviving greater than 100 days compared with controls (38 +/- 10 days). Spleens from long-term survivors (greater than 6 mo) with no macroscopically visible tumor, when examined with anti-idiotypic antibody, showed a range of apparently dormant tumor with BCL1 cells present at 2 to 50% of total. A spectrum of protection against tumor resulted from immunization, and tumor emerging in the period 53 to 173 days postpassage was investigated for expression of idiotype. It was found that cells from individual mice expressed variable amounts of idiotypic IgM at the cell surface, although it was always detectable in the intracellular compartment. Unlike typical BCL1 cells, tumor cells developing in immune spleens often secreted little idiotypic IgM either in vitro or in vivo. This modulation of expression and secretion of idiotype was detected even in the apparent absence of serum anti-idiotypic antibody. On passage of spleen cells from the long-term survivors into naive animals, BCL1 tumor developed and killed the recipients in a way indistinguishable from routine tumor passage. These tumor cells, however, both expressed and secreted IgM of the same idiotype as the original tumor. It appears therefore that tumor development in immunized mice is suppressed by a process that includes modulation but not selection of the tumor cell idiotypic determinants. Analysis of possible mechanisms of suppression revealed the presence of cytotoxic anti-idiotypic antibody at variable levels in sera of immunized mice, and splenic T cells that proliferated specifically in response to idiotypic IgM. Only low levels of cytotoxic T cells were found. Passive transfer studies demonstrated a major role for antibody in protection against tumor, with no significant enhancement by immune lymphocytes.     

T-cell-dependent hybrid resistance against a natural killer-resistant Moloney virus-induced lymphoma (YWA): in vitro generation of cytotoxic lymphocytes

A Moloney leukemia virus-induced lymphoma of the A.SW strain, YWA, was used to generate cytotoxic cells in vitro. Cocultivation of spleen cells from in vivo primed syngeneic and semisyngeneic mice with X-irradiated YWA tumor cells for 5 days resulted in a strong killing activity against YWA. The cytotoxicity was H-2 restricted and mediated by Thy-1.2-positive lymphocytes. F1 hybrids with variable degrees of natural resistance to the YWA tumor in vivo all generated cytotoxic cells after secondary stimulation in vitro but showed differences in optimal responder:stimulator requirements.