Effects of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in tumor-bearing mice on antibody production.
The function of T cell subsets in tumor-bearing mice was examined using an in vitro culture system of anti-(sheep red blood cell) antibody production, which is known to be dependent on T cells. The helper function of T cells of fibrosarcoma-MethA-bearing mice in antibody production decreased with the tumor stage of the mice. T cells were separated into CD4+ and CD8+ cells for further analysis of T cell subsets by the panning method using monoclonal antibodies. The helper function of CD4+ T cells in antibody production began to decrease significantly in tumor-bearing mice 1 week after the tumor transplantation. On the other hand, the suppressive function of CD8+ T cells was retained and had not decreased in the mice even 3 weeks after the transplantation. The same changes in function of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were also observed in Meth1-bearing mice. These results suggested that this tumor-associated immunosuppression in antibody production is attributable to the decrease in helper activity of CD4+ T cells and the maintenance of the suppressive activity of CD8+ T cells.
Shimizu
M
M
Department of Cancer Therapeutics, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Japan.
Iwaguchi
T
T
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D016827:CD8 Antigens