title: Macrophage and dendritic cell infiltration in head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma; an immunohistochemical study.
abstract: A study was undertaken to help us reach a better understanding of the tumor-infiltrating pattern of lymphoid cells and in particular of monocyte-derived cells, namely the CD68+, acid-phosphatase-expressing scavenger macrophages and the MHC-class-II- and S100-antigen-presenting dendritic cells in head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma. In the stroma of the tumors distinctive small fields of lymphocytes were found, the T cell areas of these fields being intermingled with dendritic cells. Intra-epithelial dendritic cell infiltration was low. The infiltrative pattern of macrophages was similar to patterns described in earlier studies with substantial stromal invasion and inconsistent intra-epithelial invasion, but small granuloma-like structures of CD68+ macrophage-like cells, found in the stroma of tumors, have not been reported before. The histochemical localization of the tumor-infiltrated dendritic cells and macrophages supports the view that the former cells are involved in the sensitization to tumor antigens, whereas the latter cells are involved in tumor cytotoxicity/scavenging of tumor cell debris. Although it has been shown in the past that transmembranal (TM) factors (p15E-like factors) present in the serum and tumor of patients with cancer of the head and neck have suppressive effects on monocyte/macrophage/dendritic cell function, a relationship between the intensity of epithelial staining for TM factors and the infiltrative pattern of monocytes/macrophages/dendritic cells could not be demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital Dijkzigt, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kerrebijn
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Balm
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Knegt
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Meeuwis
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Drexhage
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D006099:Granuloma / Q000473:pathology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000473:pathology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C075727:retroviral p15E-related protein, human