Autoreactive factors identify tumor-host heterogeneity and responsiveness to immunotherapy

Summary The heterogeneity of tumor-bearing animals was defined by the presence of an autoreactive antibody and cell agglutination factor in the sera of leukemic mice. The presence of this antibody, which could only be detected by its ability to lyse neuraminidase-treated spleen cells, correlated directly with the survival of the animals treated with active, specific immunotherapy. The results indicate that heterogeneity in hosts can be identified, and that autoreactive factors may be predictive for the individual response to immunotherapy and play a role in the establishment of the tumor-host relationship.