Divergence between delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to polyoma tumor-associated antigen and antitumor efficacy in polyoma-bearing recipients of therapeutic non-cytolytic, DTH-mediating lymphocytes.

Soluble polyoma tumor-associated antigen (TAA) restimulation of splenocytes from polyoma-bearing mice led to production of non-cytolytic lymphocytes of helper-cell phenotype which after i.p. administration mediate inhibition of polyoma and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to polyoma TAA. The maximum efficacy of the two activities was found in cells isolated on day 9 when also the highest percentage of L3T4+ cells was measured. The different rates of decline along with the extended life of the culture, and also the different degrees of dependence on the recipient's immune system, indicate that these processes are independent. The range of tail swelling in tumor-bearing recipients of immunotherapy reflects only the DTH transfer activity and not the range of cooperation between the recipient's immune system and the transferred T-helper lymphocytes leading to in vivo generation of CTL.