Efferent enhancement of a methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma transplantable in strain 13 guinea pigs.

The immunobiology of an antigenic methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma (MC-D) of inbred strain 13 guinea pigs has been investigated. The induction of concomitant immunity by growing MC-D tumors was indicated by the suppression of small tumor inocula in the presence of a large tumor cell dose and by the regression of intradermal tumor nodules. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that this tumor was coated with antibody in vivo. Previous studies showed that MC-D tumors were infiltrated with killer T cells which were capable of complete tumor destruction in vitro, but could never induce spontaneous regression in vivo. On the basis of all these facts, antibody-mediated efferent enhancement is proposed to be the major escape mechanism of this tumor.