CD11b⁺/Gr-1⁺ immature myeloid cells mediate suppression of T cells in mice bearing tumors of IL-1β-secreting cells

Tumor cells secreting IL-1β are invasive and metastatic, more than the parental line or control mock-transfected cells, and concomitantly induce in mice general immune suppression of T cell responses. Suppression strongly correlates with accumulation in the peripheral blood and spleen of CD11b ⁺/Gr-1⁺ immature myeloid cells and hematological alterations, such as splenomegaly, leukocytosis, and anemia. Resection of large tumors of IL-1β-secreting cells restored immune reactivity and hematological alterations within 7-10 days. Treatment of tumor-bearing mice with the physiological inhibitor of IL-1, the IL-1R antagonist, reduced tumor growth and attenuated the hematological alterations. Depletion of CD11b ⁺/Gr-1⁺ immature myeloid cells from splenocytes of tumor-bearing mice abrogated suppression. Despite tumor-mediated suppression, resection of large tumors of IL-1β-secreting cells, followed by a challenge with the wild-type parental cells, induced resistance in mice; protection was not observed in mice bearing tumors of mock-transfected fibrosarcoma cells. Altogether, we show in this study that tumor-derived IL-1β, in addition to its proinflammatory effects on tumor invasiveness, induces in the host hematological alterations and tumor-mediated suppression. Furthermore, the antitumor effectiveness of the IL-1R antagonist was also shown to encompass restoration of hematological alterations, in addition to its favorable effects on tumor invasiveness and angiogenesis that have previously been described by us.