title: Expression of interferon-gamma receptors and interferon-gamma-induced up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in basal cell carcinoma; decreased expression of IFN-gamma R and shedding of ICAM-1 as a means to escape immune surveillance.
abstract: The peritumoural inflammatory infiltrate in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin consists mainly of T lymphocytes which hardly invade the tumour nests. The absence of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on BCC cells may explain the lack of tumour-infiltrating cells and the lack of an active cell-mediated immune response in this tumour. In this study, the induction of ICAM-1 was investigated in BCC biopsies using recombinant human interferon-gamma (rHuIFN-gamma). The expression of interferon-gamma receptors (IFN-gamma R) in the biopsies was also investigated. The results showed that BCC cells expressed ICAM-1 after incubation with rHuIFN-gamma, but to a lesser degree than normal epidermal cells. The levels of shed ICAM-1 were significantly increased in the culture supernatants of tumour biopsies compared with those from normal skin biopsies, after culturing in the presence of rHuIFN-gamma. The expression of IFN-gamma R was significantly decreased on the tumour cells compared with the overlying epidermis. The decreased expression of IFN-gamma R on the tumour cells and the shedding of ICAM-1 into the peritumoural stroma may be a plausible mechanism by which the tumour cells are protected against an active cell-mediated immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermato-Venereology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kooy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tank
authors.forename: V D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Vuzevski
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Joost
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Prens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology*; D003470:Culture Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor