THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF ENDOGENOUS IFN ALPHA BETA IN THE ANTIMETASTATICACTION OF SENSITIZED T-LYMPHOCYTES IN MICE INJECTED WITH FRIEND-ERYTHROLEUKEMIA CELLS/

Adoptive transfer of splenic T lymphocytes from DBA/2 mice immunized a gainst Friend erythroleukemia cells (FLC) inhibited the development of visceral metastases and increased the survival time of DBA/2 mice cha llenged i.v. with parental FLC 24 hr to 2 months later. Immune spleen cells were ineffective in mice pre-treated with potent neutralizing an tibody to mouse IFN alpha/beta (but not to IFN gamma), demonstrating t he essential participation of endogenous IFN alpha/beta in the inhibit ory action of immune T lymphocytes against FLC metastases. These findi ngs suggest that the reported inability of immune T lymphocytes to exe rt an anti-FLC effect in immunodeficient DBA/2 mutant beige (bg/bg) mi ce (unless these mice had also been treated with IFN alpha/beta), may have been due to lower levels of endogenous IFN alpha/beta in DBA/2 bg /bg mice than in normal DBA/2+/bg mice. Experimental results in suppor t of this hypothesis are presented. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.