Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (lymphoepithelioma) and in malignant epithelial tumors.
Immunoreactivity for intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and for vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), two adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily, was tested and measured on tissue sections from 16 undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinomas (U-NPC), 12 keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the head and neck region, and 54 malignant epithelial tumors of various origin. Neoplastic cells of all cases of U-NPC were diffusely and intensely stained for ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. Moreover, ICAM-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and VCAM-1 mRNA were detected by Northern blot analysis of RNA extracts from two tumors. In the other epithelial tumors focal or diffuse staining for ICAM-1 was observed in 40 cases (66%), whereas reactivity for VCAM-1 was detected in a single case of metastatic undifferentiated carcinoma of unknown origin. The biopsy specimens of U-NPC showed variable infiltration by leukocytes, which were positive for the integrins lymphocyte function antigen-1 (LFA-1) and alpha-4/beta-1, the corresponding ligands for ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. The possibility that ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 on neoplastic cells may favor the intratumoral recruitment of leukocytes in a way similar to that occurring in crypt epithelium of the palatine tonsil is discussed.
Ruco
L P
LP
Department of Experimental Medicine, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
Stoppacciaro
A
A
Uccini
S
S
Breviario
F
F
Dejana
E
E
Gallo
A
A
De Vincentiis
M
M
Pileri
S
S
Nicholls
J M
JM
Baroni
C D
CD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1