Immunomodulation in choroidal melanoma: reversal of inverted CD4/CD8 ratios following treatment with ultrasonic hyperthermia.
It has long been suggested that malignant melanomas, cutaneous as well as uveal, are responsive to human immune-mediated host defenses. We report here 5 consecutive cases of posterior choroidal melanomas which were treated with hyperthermia generated by high-intensity focused ultrasound. Patient immune function was monitored by determination of T-cell helper/suppressor (CD4/CD8) ratios immediately before and approximately 1 week following hyperthermia treatment. All 5 patients had normal total T-cell counts as measured by the pan-T-cell marker CD3. Two patients were noted to have inverted CD4/CD8 ratios (< 1:1) before hyperthermia. In both these cases, the ratio reverted to normal (> 1:1) 1 week following treatment. One patient whose CD4/CD8 ratio was not inverted was noted to have a further increase in his CD4 T cells relative to his CD8 (37% increase). Two patients with initially normal CD4/CD8 demonstrated no significant change following hyperthermia. It appears that ultrasonic hyperthermia may induce a systemic immunomodulatory effect in patients with posterior choroidal melanoma and inverted T-cell helper/suppressor resulting in a normalization of T-cell subset ratios.
Rosberger
D F
DF
Department of Ophthalmology, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York, USA.
Coleman
D J
DJ
Silverman
R
R
Woods
S
S
Rondeau
M
M
Cunningham-Rundles
S
S
D000368:Aged; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002830:Choroid Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy