Studies in the enhancement of tumour immunity by coupling strong antigens to tumour cells ('heterogenization of tumours'). Helper T cell clones against PPD help other T cells mount anti-tumour responses to PPD-coupled tumour cells.
PPD-reactive T cell clones have been used to analyse the nature of T lymphocytes that are involved in the 'heterogenization' of tumour cells. This is a phenomenon where coupling tumour cells to a strong antigen (in this case PPD) causes an enhanced immune response to tumour-specific antigens to be elicited providing that the host shows T cell immunity to the strong antigen (in this case is BCG positive). Clones of T cells with the Lyt1+2- phenotype which were unable to mediate delayed-type hypersensitivity but which provided efficient help to hapten-primed B cells were found to potentiate anti-tumour immunity in BCG-negative syngeneic mice when immunized with Con-A-PPD coupled, X-irradiated MC6A tumour cells. There therefore appears to be a mechanism whereby a helper T cell response to one antigen can provide help for the generation of a T cell response to a linked antigen which is analogous to the well-known phenomenon of help to hapten primed B cells. Furthermore the clones of T cells that help B cells the best are those that give maximal augmentation of T cell immunity.
D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000276:immunology*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016215:Macrophage-Activating Factors; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000939:Epitopes; D008222:Lymphokines; D016215:Macrophage-Activating Factors; D014373:Tuberculin