Relatively low numbers of spleen and lymph node cells from Lewis rats previously challenged with myelin basic protein efficiently transfer experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) to normal syngeneic recipients after in vitro culture with antigen. Moreover, cells obtained from rats that have recovered and are resistant to EAE can also transfer disease. Cell separation studies show that a nylon wool-adherent cell is responsible for transfer of EAE. Density gradient ultracentrifugation revealed that these effector cells are probably lymphoblasts.

This report describes studies carried out in an effort to identify the suppressor cells involved in the regulation of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the Lewis rat. Viable lymph node cells (LNC) from donors rendered tolerant to clinical EAE by pretreatment with myelin basic protein antigen in nonencephalitogenic form are capable of transferring unresponsiveness to syngeneic recipients. Adoptive transfer of unresponsiveness was abrogated if LNC were treated in vitro with anti‐thymocyte serum and complement. In further experiments, it was shown that suppressor cells are among the LNC subpopulations that do not adhere to glass wool. These findings suggest that the immunoregulatory cells in EAE are suppressor T lymphocytes.

BACKGROUND: Optimal curative therapy for locally advanced esophageal and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) cancer might not be offered to elderly patients due to patient and treating physician perception of the high risk of therapy. To understand the risk of multimodality curative therapy, including surgical resection in the elderly population, we studied our experience with curative therapy in this patient population and compared the risks and outcomes with those in a younger population. STUDY DESIGN: Between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2019, four hundred and five consecutive patients with esophageal or EGJ cancer underwent primary treatment at our institution, including esophagectomy. Data collected included demographic information, tumor stage, preoperative Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, treatment variables, and short- and long-term outcomes. Patients who were 70 years or older were classified as the “older” group and patients younger than 70 years were “younger.” RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-eight younger (mean age 59 years) and 94 older (mean age 74 years) patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgical resection for stage II and higher cancer. Preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologist and Charlson Comorbidity Index scores were significantly worse in the older group. Postoperative atrial fibrillation and urinary retention developed more often in the older group. Despite this, the rate of postoperative Clavien-Dindo complication severity scores of 3 or higher, perioperative mortality rates, and lengths of stay were similar. Long-term age-adjusted survival rate was 44.8% at 5 years for the group 70 years or older and 39% for the group younger than 70 years (NS). CONCLUSIONS: Patients 70 years and older with locally advanced esophageal or EGJ cancer should be evaluated for optimal curative therapy including neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgical resection. Although preoperative risk scoring and postoperative atrial arrythmias are higher in the older group, short- and long-term outcomes are not inferior in these patients.

Lewis rats are susceptible to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Most rats recover from paralysis and are subsequently resistant to the disease. In an adoptive transfer system, we found that lymph node cells (LNC) from rats that had recovered from EAE protect syngeneic recipients from the disease when the latter are challenged with encephalitogenic myelin basic protein and adjuvant after receiving donor cells. Suppression is antigen-specific and requires viable LNC. In contrast to the suppressor cells we previously studied in tolerized rats, which were nonadherent T lymphocytes, the suppressor cells found in rats that have recovered from EAE adhere to glass wool. However, they are not retained on Sephadex G-10 columns to which macrophages adhere. Suppressor activity is enriched in the nylon wool-adherent LNC population (which consists of approximately 80% Ig+ cells). Our findings suggest that activation of adherent suppressor cells may be implicated in recovery from EAE. These may be adherent T cells, or B cells that produce anti-BP blocking antibodies.

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