The Cell Site of the Immunological Defect in Tumor-Bearing Mice 1

Summary

In vivo studies have shown that in spite of the reactive splenomegaly with lymphoid cell hyperplasia, which is a constant finding in tumor-bearing mice, the capacity of the spleen cells to respond to injected SRBC by hemolysin production is significantly impaired.

In vitro experiments, utilizing techniques which separate adherent macrophage and nonadherent lymphocyte populations of cells from the spleens of normal and tumor-bearing mice, have permitted the definition of the cell site of the immunological defect. The defect in tumor-bearing mice is analogous to that in neonatally thymectomized animals, residing in the nonadherent lymphoid population of spleen cells.