title: [The significance of the lymphocytes and plasma cells infiltration in brain metastases (author's transl)].
abstract: The histological slides of 270 consecutive cases of brain metastases have been reviewed to investigate the incidence of lymphocytes and plasma cells infiltration. As shown in a previous study, the overall incidence of the infiltration was found to be significantly higher in metastases than in glioblastomas (respectively, 76 p. cent and 39 p. cent), and similar to, even though slightly less, than that observed in other malignancies elsewhere in the body. Moreover, the infiltration was generally more intense in brain metastases than in glioblastomas (respectively, 50 p. cent and 16 p. cent, of "definite" infiltration), and was characterised by the presence of more plasma cells. These figures once again support the view regarding the brain as a site only partially "privileged" from an immunological standpoint, due to the weakness of the afferent limb of the immunological response. On the other hand, the slight reduction of the infiltration in brain metastases as compared to primary tumors might well represent a host's immune depression during the process of metastasizing.
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000473:pathology*
vernacular_title: Signification de l'infiltration lymphoplasmocytaire dans les métastases cérébrales.