Correction of a murine mammary tumor virus-associated immunological depression by selective immunosuppression with cytosine arabinoside.
Mammary tumor virus (MTV) infection has been shown to be associated with a diminished hypersensitive reaction to methylated bovine serum albumin. Since methylated bovine serum albumin-induced hypersensitivity appears to be a mixed [humoral versus cell-mediated immunity (CMI)] reaction, the deficit in reactivity could be caused by, among other things, a direct depression of CMI or an increase in a humoral, blocking component. Assay of oxazolone-induced contact sensitivity and phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte stimulation revealed normal or greater than normal CMI in MTV-positive animals. Treatment of MTV-positive and -negative animals with a regimen of cytosine arabinoside designed to inhibit only humoral immunity and leave CMI intact, corrected the deficit in methylated bovine serum albumin reactivity in MTV-positive mice. Thus, it is suggested that MTV infection may facilitate the production of interfering or blocking humoral immunity.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D037102:Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008324:Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D010081:Oxazolone / Q000276:immunology; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology*
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D037102:Lectins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D003561:Cytarabine; D010081:Oxazolone