Studies on antilymphocytic autoimmune reactions in L1210 bearing mice

Spleen cells obtained from mice injected subcutaneously with L1210 cells reacted against normal mitomycin treated syngeneic or semisyngeneic target cells in mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR). Cells obtained from solid subcutaneous tumors did not react against syngeneic target cells. The autoimmune response in mixed cultures was abolished by killing the normal cells in a suspension of spleen cells obtained from L1210 bearing mice. These two lines of evidence suggested that the effector cells of the autoimmune response were normal rather than malignant cells. Spleen cells reactive to syngeneic or semisyngeneic target cells did not react or reacted only weakly to allogeneic cells in MLR when compared to cells from normal animals. Animals bearing the P815 mastocytoma were not capable of antilymphocytic autoimmune reactions.