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. 1991 May;34(3):186–190. doi: 10.1007/BF01742311

Immunotherapy of bovine ocular squamous cell carcinoma by repeated intralesional injections of live bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) or BCG cell walls

V P M G Rutten 1,✉, W R Klein 2, W A C De Jong 1, W Misdorp 3, P A Steerenberg 4, W H De Jong 4, W Den Otter 4,5, E J Ruitenberg 1,6
PMCID: PMC11038549  PMID: 1756535

Abstract

Thirty cows of the Dutch Friesian and the Maas-Rijn-Ijssel breed with histologically confirmed ocular squamous cell carcinoma were treated by repeated intralesional injection of live bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) (n = 14) or a BCG cell-wall vaccine (n = 16). Complete regression of the primary tumour was observed in 64% and 57% of the animals respectively. In the 2-year follow-up period there was no recurrence of primary tumours. This sharply contrasts with the recurrence frequency (40%–50%) after complete remission induced by a single intralesional injection with BCG, observed in an earlier study. In 1 animal a new primary tumour developed. At necropsy metastases were present in 33% of the treated animals: in 3 of 17 animals that showed complete regression of the primary tumour and in 7 of 13 animals with partial regression or progressive disease. This did not differ significantly from results obtained after a single treatment (27%). Delayed-type hypersensitivity toM. bovis purified protein derivative (PPD) was more persistent in animals showing regression of the primary tumour than in non-responding animals. Of the animals with a positive PPD response 6 months after treatment, 79% showed tumour regression. Regression was observed in only 28% of the animals not responding to PPD after the same period of time. In conclusion: (a) recurrence of the primary tumour was not observed after repeated BCG treatment; (b) the frequency of metastases was not decreased compared to results obtained with a single treatment; (c) regression was correlated with a positive delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to PPD (P <0.05) 6 months after treatment; (d) no significant differences were observed when the clinical results of treatment with live BCG and the BCG cell wall vaccine were compared.

Key words: Immunotherapy, BCG, Bovine ocular squamous cell carcinoma

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