TUMOR-SPECIFIC, CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSE AFTER IDIOTYPE VACCINATION FOR B-CELL, NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

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.