A weakly tumorigenic phenotype with high MHC class-I expression is associated with high metastatic potential after surgical removal of the primary murine fibrosarcoma.

We have examined the metastatic capacity of different clones of a chemically induced fibrosarcoma GR9. These clones have previously been characterized for their H-2 class-I and class-II phenotype, NK sensitivity and local tumor growth. Our present data show that clones which express low amounts of H-2 class-I antigens are poorly metastatic in a post-surgical spontaneous metastasis assay, while those expressing high levels of class-I antigens possess a high metastatic capacity. These results correlate inversely with local growth patterns of the clones. High metastatic capacity was associated with resistance to NK cells. In an experimental metastasis assay, based on intravenous administration of in vitro carried GR9 clones to syngeneic BALB/c mice, an opposite result to the post-surgical assay was obtained. Gamma-IFN treatment of B9 clones (H-2-deficient) enhanced H-2 class-I expression and diminished experimentally induced metastases. Metastatic colonies, from the spontaneous metastasis assay, obtained from different organs, showed changes in the ratio H-2K/H-2D. There was a tendency for down-regulation of the expression of H-2K molecules in H-2-positive clones and for up-regulation of H-2D expression in H-2-negative clones.