Resistance of guinea-pig hepatoma cells to complement-mediated lysis induced by ascites fluid or serum from tumor-bearing animals.

The mechanisms of tumor cell susceptibility and resistance to cytotoxic antibodies were investigated in the guinea-pig ascites hepatoma (line-1 and line-10) system. Treatment of line-specific rabbit antibody-coated tumor cells by ascitic fluid, by serum of tumor bearers or by tumor extract inhibited subsequent complement-mediated lysis. Inhibition by ascitic fluid and serum was not line-specific, but inhibition by tumor extract was line-specific. Treatment of tumor cells with ascitic fluid or tumor extract prior to exposure to specific cytotoxic antibody and complement did not inhibit lysis. Incubation of cytotoxic rabbit antisera with ascitic fluid, tumor-bearer serum or tumor extract neutralized their complement-dependent cytotoxic activity on tumor cells. Tumor-immune guinea-pigs exhibited line-specific delayed cutaneous reactions after injection with ascitic fluid or tumor extract. Studies with indrect immunofluorescence revealed that exposure to ascites fluid or tumor extract caused a rapid shedding of rabbit antibodies from the tumor cell surface. Evidence is presented indicating that the active fraction of ascites fluid was associated with immune complexes consisting of IgG and tumor antigen in excess. The relevance of these findings to tumor escape from immune destruction in vivo is discussed.