title: Chemotherapy and immunotherapy of bovine leukosis.
abstract: To prevent the progression of the disease, we treated leukemic or preleukemic cows with (1) adriamycin (ADM) entrapped in liposomes conjugated with monoclonal antibody, c143, against tumor-associated antigens (TAA) of bovine leukemic cells and (2) an immunotherapy using an immunopotentiator consisting of the cell wall skeleton of Nocardia rubra (N-CWS). Five leukemic or preleukemic cows with TAA-positive peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) received four injections of ADM alone (0.4 mg/kg body weight) or c143-conjugated liposomes containing the same dose of ADM (L-ADM-c143) through the jugular vein at about 4-day intervals. In three animals treated with L-ADM-c143, the TAA-positive cells gradually decreased with treatment and finally two animals became TAA-negative during a 6-week period and a 14-week period after treatment, respectively. About 6 weeks later, however, TAA-positive cells gradually increased. In the control, two animals treated with ADM alone showed no decrease of TAA-positive cells. Five TAA-positive animals with enlarged subcutaneous lymphatic nodules, each nodule estimated to be from 1 to 4 cm3 in size, were treated by injection of N-CWS into the tumors. Complete regression of tumor was observed in seven out of ten tumors treated in five animals. Decrease of TAA-positive cells was also observed in PBL for all five treated animals. In one animal, the TAA-positive cells remained low for at least 280 days after treatment. This study documents that ADM treatment and intralesionally administered N-CWS are effective in the treatment of bovine leukosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onuma
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasutomi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000957:Antigens, Viral, Tumor; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004337:Drug Carriers; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D001909:Leukemia Virus, Bovine; D008081:Liposomes; D011289:Preleukemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000957:Antigens, Viral, Tumor; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008081:Liposomes; D004317:Doxorubicin