Immune Netw.  2006 Dec;6(4):185-191. 10.4110/in.2006.6.4.185.

The Effects of the Tumor Mass Size Inoculated in Immunologically Competent Balb/c Mice on Delayed-type Hypersensitivity Response

• Lim H
• Woo A
• Jung Y
• Kang JS
• Shin DH
• Lee WJ
• Hwang YI

• KMID: 1513150
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4110/in.2006.6.4.185

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Based on outstanding progresses in animal experiments, vaccines for some human tumors have been developed. However, clinical effects of these vaccines have been far below than expected. This discrepancy might come from differences between animal models and human patients with respect to immunocompetency. The immune status of mice after tumor inoculation has not been well studied, which make us cautious in interpreting and applying the results from mice to human. We evaluated cell-mediated immune responses in mice after tumor cell inoculation.
METHODS
Mice were inoculated with TA3Ha, CT26, or 4T1. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses were induced 2-4 weeks after inoculation using 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene as an antigen. The relationships between the severity of DTH responses and the duration of tumor inoculation or the size of tumor mass were analyzed.
RESULTS
In TA3Ha groups, DTH response was elevated 2 weeks after inoculation, but depressed after 4 weeks, compared to the control group. When analyzed based on the sizes of tumor masses elicited, DTH responses were inversely related to the mass size, especially in those greater than 10 mm in diameter. In CT26 groups, while the duration after inoculation did not affect the severity of DTH responses, those with large mass showed depressed responses regardless the duration of inoculation. 4T1 cells grew so slowly that the size of tumor mass was small even 4 weeks after inoculation, and this group showed much higher DTH responses compared to that of tumor-free group.
CONCLUSION
At least in an experimental setting where tumor model was induced by inoculating tumor cell lines into immunologically competent mice, the host immune response was elevated in early stage, and then depressed in late stage when the mass grew over a critical size.

Keyword

Tumor inoculation; tumor mass size; mouse; delayed type hypersensitivity; TA3Ha; CT26; 4T1

MeSH Terms

Animal Experimentation
Animals
Cell Line, Tumor
Humans
Hypersensitivity*
Mice*
Models, Animal
Vaccines
Vaccines