Tissue T and B cell infiltration of primary and metastatic cancer.
Immunofluorescent techniques were utilized to identify the types of infiltrating lymphocytes adjacent to human malignant tumors arising from a wide range of anatomic sites. 24 of 29 primary tumors and 5 of 8 metastatic lesions showed varying degrees of lymphocytic infiltration. T cells predominated in the infiltrates in primary tumors (mean 80%, range 50-100%) and this pattern was evident regardless of anatomic site or the presence or absence of metastatic spread. By contrast, B cells predominated at the margins of three of five tumor metastases. Mononuclear cells bearing the Fc receptor were not a prominent component of the infiltrates associated with either primary tumors or metastases, but tumor cell binding of fluoresceinated IgG aggregates was observed in 12 of 29 primary tumors. A significant reduction in peripheral blood T cell numbers occurred in a third of the patients studied. This decrease was not clearly related either to the extent of local tumor T cell infiltration or to the presence of disseminated disease. These preliminary findings provide a descriptive analysis of the local and systemic distributions of immunocompetent cells in cancer.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D000242:Cyclic AMP