title: Low dose total body irradiation: a potent anti-retroviral agent in vivo.
abstract: Immunosuppression characterizes many human diseases including leukemia and AIDS. Friend virus (FV)-induced murine leukemia is a useful model for studying both malignancy and immunosuppression. In a previous series of experiments, we have demonstrated that untreated FV-infected mice died within 40 days post-infection, whereas infected mice given 150 cGy total body irradiation (TBI) on days 5 and 12 exhibited long-term survival. In this report, we show that no leukemic cells or type C virus particles are found in the spleens of mice treated with TBI. In addition, both NK activity as well as bone marrow cell's proliferative responses to PHA and Con A were fully restored. This treatment produces long term control of FV-induced murine leukemia, and thus might have relevance for the treatment of a number of immunosuppressive diseases including AIDS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46223.
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Hornback
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Brahmi
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Broxmeyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005622:Friend murine leukemia virus; D007181:Inclusion Bodies, Viral; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation