title: Intralesional interferon alfa-2b in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical study on cellular immune reaction leading to tumor regression.
abstract: Four patients with basal cell carcinomas were treated with intralesional injections of interferon alfa-2b (1.5 million IU per injection) three times a week for 2 weeks. Histopathologic examination of biopsy specimens of the lesions confirmed the absence of basal cell carcinoma in all cases 4 weeks after completion of therapy. A dense mononuclear cell infiltrate and numerous ectatic blood vessels were present in the dermis at the sites of previous basal cell carcinoma. Immunohistologic analysis of the dermal infiltrate revealed a marked increase of Leu-4+ T cells with a slight predominance of Leu-3+ helper/inducer T cells over Leu-2+ suppressor/cytotoxic T cells. Most of the dermal infiltrate expressed HLA-DR antigen. In addition, Leu-11+ natural killer cells were observed in the dermal infiltrate. Immunohistologic changes in the skin lesions at the sites of previous basal cell carcinoma suggest that intralesional interferon alfa-2b acts on tumor cells by enhancement of local T-cell-mediated immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Buechner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins