title: Immunohistological analysis of anti-melanoma host responses.
abstract: Various clinical and experimental observations point to the existence of an immunological host defense in cutaneous malignant melanoma. To identify the major effector mechanisms mediating the specific anti-tumor immune response, we examined 23 benign and neoplastic melanocytic lesions (3 nevi, 14 primary melanomas, and 3 cutaneous and 3 systemic metastases) by quantitative immunohistology, and correlated these results with the histopathological and clinical subtypes of malignant melanoma. Our analyses indicate that CD3+ T-cell receptor alpha/beta-expressing lymphocytes are the prevailing leukocyte subset in primary as well as secondary malignant melanoma. We further observed that in early lesions (< 0.75 mm) of superficial spreading melanoma the vast majority of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) belong to the CD4+ subset and frequently express CD45RA antigens. In more advanced tumors, the contribution of CD8+ TIL gradually increases, indicating that the quality of the anti-tumor immune response changes during the course of the disease. Finally, we found that a varying percentage of cutaneous TIL express the cutaneous leukocyte antigen which is defined by the monoclonal antibody HECA 452 and preferentially expressed by skin-seeking memory T cells. In contrast, extracutaneous melanoma metastases (liver, brain, ovary) were completely devoid of HECA 452-reactive lymphocytes. These findings suggest that lymphocytes infiltrating cutaneous melanomas belong to a memory/effector T-cell subset functionally associated with the skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strohal
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marberger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pehamberger
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stingl
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010641:Phenotype; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens