Opposite effects of different strains or batches of same strain of BCG on in vitro generation of syngeneic and allogeneic antitumor cytotoxicity.

Pretreatment of mice with three batches of BCG Phipps strain 10 days before in vitro immunization of their spleen cells with syngeneic or allogeneic tumor cells augmented the levels of antitumor cytotoxicity (compared to the levels exhibited by in vitro immunized spleen cells from normal mice), whereas pretreatment with another batch of BCG Phipps strain or with a batch of BCG Tice strain suppressed antitumor cytotoxicity. The suppressive effects of these BCG vaccines could not be attributed to route of administration, dose of BCG, or percentage of colony-forming units in an inoculum. The effect of the interval between BCG pretreatment and in vitro immunization on the generation of antitumor cytotoxicity was evaluated; one BCG batch was of special interest, inasmuch as augmented cytotoxicity was obtained when the interval was short and suppressed cytotoxicity was obtained when the interval was long.