Cell Migration Inhibition in Human Lymphomas Using Lymph Node and Cell Line Antigens

In an attempt to demonstrate in vitro reactions against autologous and allogenic lymph node (LN) extracts in lymphoma patients, 15 cases were studied using as controls two normal LN extracts and leukocytes from 17 blood donors. The techniques applied were migration inhibition tests carried out directly on peripheral leukocytes and indirectly using lymphocyte culture supernatants on guinea pig peritoneal macrophages. The antigens (Ag) used were partially purified saline extracts of neoplastic LN, cultured neoplastic cells of lymphosarcoma (LS) origin, and normal LN. It was observed that autologous LN extracts elicited migration inhibition in the four cases of LS studied and in four out of six cases of Hodgkin’s disease (HD), while normal LN extracts gave negative results in these patients. Positive reactions were observed in four out of six LS cases using allogenic LS extracts, either from LN or from cell lines. No cross-reactions could be demonstrated in HD. All Ag gave negative results with leukocytes from normal blood donors. The positive autologous reaction suggests the presence of a tumor Ag in neoplastic LN, while the immunologic cross-reaction between some of the LS patients would point to a common Ag, persisting in at least one of the LS cell lines and perhaps related to a virus.