El. Nelson et al., TUMOR-SPECIFIC, CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSE AFTER IDIOTYPE VACCINATION FOR B-CELL, NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA, Blood, 88(2), 1996, pp. 580-589
Patients with non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma who received an antitumor
vaccine lg idiotypic lg protein showed humoral and proliferative immun
e responses. Because immunity to some antigens, including tumor antige
ns and human pathogenic viruses, may be better correlated with the cyt
olytic cellular immune response, we evaluated 16 non-Hodgkin's lymphom
a patients immunized with autologous idiotypic lg molecules for change
s in tumor-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte precursor (CTLp) frequency
using limiting dilution analysis. Eleven patients had a significant in
crease in tumor-specific CTLp, Eight of these 11 patients remain witho
ut evidence of disease or with stable minimal disease, In contrast, al
l five patients who did not have a significant change in tumor-specifi
c CTLp have developed progressive disease, Patient vaccination with tu
mor-associated protein antigens can increase tumor-specific CTLp frequ
encies. The correlation of increased tumor-specific CTLp with freedom
from progression is significant at P = .002, This study indicates that
measurement of CTLp frequencies are relevant to the clinical evaluati
on of human tumor vaccines and suggests that cell-mediated cytolytic i
mmune responses may be an important determinant of vaccine efficacy. (
C) 1996 by The American Society of Hematology.