Relationship between tumour growth rate and proteic variations in interstitial subcutaneous fluid and serum: Possible thymic control

Some murine tumours stimulate the proliferation of target cells in diffusion chambers implanted subcutaneously near the tumour. The growth of tumours with or without the property to stimulate the proliferation of target cells was studied in relation to the proteic variations in interstitial subcutaneous fluid and serum in normal hosts and thymectomized or thymus-deprived hosts. “Stimulating” tumours were found to exhibit a much faster growth than “non stimulating” tumours, in normal hosts. A significant protein decrease was observed in interstitial fluid of mice bearing “stimulating” tumours as compared to control mice. In contrast, the analysis of interstitial fluid and serum of mice bearing “non stimulating” tumours revealed a significant proteic increase. The study of the growth behaviour of these tumours in T-cell deprived mice revealed a deceleration of the “stimulating” tumours, and a heavy acceleration for the “non stimulating” tumours. No proteic variation as compared to control mice was found in interstitial fluid and serum of tumour bearing T-cell deprived mice. The hypothesis was formulated that some relationship exists between tumour growth rate and proteic variations in interstitial subcutaneous fluid and serum which might be under thymic control.