The role of BCG vaccination in producing tumor immunity. An experimental study.
A transplantable hamster lymphoma was investigated to determine the role of BCG-immune macrophages in killing tumor cells. The suppression tumor cell growth was tested by the transfer of different combinations of lymphoid and tumor cells into 162 normal inbred (LHC) hamsters. The results demonstrated that the transfer of a combination of BCG-immune macrophages and tumor-immune lymphocytes to normal hamsters suppressed the growth of these tumor cells. We suggest that immunization with BCG increases the killing potential of macrophages, and that tumor-immune lymphocytes may cause these "activated" macrophages to release their toxic enzymes to cause necrosis of adjacent tumor cells.
D000818:Animals; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D006224:Cricetinae; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D007106:Immune Sera