Lymphocyte blastogenic responses to autochthonous viable and nonviable human tumor cells

In vitro blastogenic response to autochthonous tumor cells was studied in 11 patients with solid tumors. After viable cells were separated from nonviable tumor cells by differential centrifugation on Ficoll Hypaque density solution, they were exposed to irradiation, mitomycin C, or no treatment. These conditions produced tumor cell preparations with various degrees of stimulatory ability. Viable tumor cells have some advantage over nonviable tumor cells, and irradiated tumor cells were superior to those treated with mitomycin C in terms of tumor induced blastogenesis among autologous lymphocytes.