ArticleZwilling BS.
Cancer Res. 1977 Jan;37(1):250-2.
The effect of intratracheal instillation of benzo(a)pyrene and its noncarcinogenic analog benzo(a)pyrene on the systemic humoral and cell-mediated immune response of Syrian golden hamsters was evaluated. Hamsters treated with the carcinogen had a transient suppression of the splenic plaque-forming cell response to sheep erythrocytes, compared with analog-treated controls. The numbers of direct (immunoglobulin M) and indirect (immunoglobulin G) plaque-forming cells were suppressed at the 9th week of treatment and then recovered to control levels. No suppression in the cell-mediated immune response, as assessed by the rejection of Chinese hamster skin grafts, was found.