Histological evidence of natural killer cell aggregation against malignant melanoma induced by adoptive immunotherapy with lymphokine-activated killer cells.
Adoptive immunotherapy with lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and systemic administration of recombinant Interleukin-2 (RIL-2) was carried out in a case of malignant melanoma with lung metastases. Histological specimens from the lung showed a metastatic melanoma heavily invaded by atypical lymphoid cells with convoluted nuclei of varying size. Immunohistochemistry revealed that these cells had the characteristic exclusively of natural killer cell (Leu-7+). Nodules of these cells mimicked the appearance of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of pleomorphic type. Molecular cytogenetic analysis, however, showed the absence of rearranged bands for the T-cell receptor beta-chain gene, indicating the absence of T-cell clones. At autopsy, 1 month after the LAK therapy, the heavy invasion of convoluted cells had disappeared. These findings clearly indicate that the LAK cell plus RIL-2 therapy induced Leu-7+ lymphoid cells, phenotypically suggestive of natural killer cell aggregation in the tumours.
Yamamura
T
T
Department of Dermatology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Fujitani
Y
Y
Kawauchi
T
T
Wada
E
E
Kobayashi
Y
Y
Yoshikawa
K
K
Ogawa
H
H
Sugiyama
H
H
Ohsawa
M
M
Aozasa
K
K
D002449:Cell Aggregation; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D008222:Lymphokines; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
D007376:Interleukin-2; D008222:Lymphokines