Partial purification of a common antigen in bovine lymphoma and its use in a lymphocyte blastogenesis assay.

An antigen was isolated from tumor cells derived from cases of bovine lymphoma which caused the in vitro blastogenesis of lymphocytes from nine of 13 (69%) adult cattle with lymphoma. Lymphocytes derived from five of 122 (4%) normal adult cattle also underwent blastogenesis while lymphocytes from three cases of the sporadic form of lymphoma did not respond. Blastogenesis of lymphocytes from normal cattle may have resulted from alloantigen activity in the antigen; however, normal lymph node antigen did not stimulate lymphocytes from normal adult cows or cows with lymphoma. Antigen derived from tumor was localized to the cell membrane and cytoplasm of tumor cells by indirect immunofluorescent staining using an antiserum prepared in rabbits. Specific fluorescence was reduced by the absorption of this antiserum with a crude tumor extract. The antiserum did not cross-react with normal lymph node antigen or viral components as demonstrated by immunodiffusion. With further refinement of the antigen, the blastogenesis assay may be of use in the early detection and study of the pathogenesis of lymphoma in adult cattle.