TRIGGERING EFFECTS OF BCG VACCINE ON ANTITUMOR AND INTERLEUKIN-1 SECRETORY ACTIVITY OF T-CELL LYMPHOKINE-PRIMED MACROPHAGES

By using an in vitro model, this work demonstrates that BCG,(Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) vaccine is able to trigger activation of T cell lymph okine-primed murine macrophages (Mo) for both tumoricidal cytotoxicity and interleukin-l (IL-1) secretion. The results presented support the view that BCG vaccine may essentially activate primed, but not intact Mo; and that macrophage-mediated both antitumor and immunostimulatory effects of BCG vaccine observed in the body may be largely defined by functional activity of T-lymphocytes responsible for antigen-induced production of macrophage-activating lymphokines.