Anti-leukocyte function-1 antibody treatment prevents the rejection of intraocular regressor tumors and their metastases.

The role of the cell adhesion molecules, LFA-1 and ICAM-1, in intraocular tumor rejection was examined using four different syngeneic intraocular regressor tumors and four different inbred mouse strains. All four tumors undergo T cell-dependent immune rejection in the syngeneic host. Two of the tumors, D5.1G4 melanoma and P91 mastocytoma, undergo rejection by a cytotoxic T lymphocyte-like immune process. The other two tumors, UV5C25 fibrosarcoma and 124E2 melanoma, are rejected by a process that appears to be mediated by delayed-type hypersensitivity. Systemic administration of anti-LFA-1 prevented the rejection of all four categories of tumors. By contrast, similar in vivo treatment with anti-ICAM-1 antibody did not inhibit tumor rejection. The effect of anti-LFA-1 and anti-ICAM-1 antibody treatment on the rejection of metastases arising from intraocular P91 tumors was also examined and found to be highly dependent upon normal LFA-1 function since antibody treatment with anti-LFA-1 prevented the rejection of metastases. Treatment with anti-ICAM-1 antibody alone had no appreciable effect on the rejection of metastases. The results from this study indicate that the expression and function of LFA-1 is crucial for the generation of immune responses to tumor antigens originating within the eye and the expression of tumor immunity within the eye and at distant sites.