title: Immune cell infiltration of intrinsic and metastatic intracranial tumours.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Immune escape is one prerequisite for the formation of neoplasms that is reflected by the pattern of immune cell infiltration. Abundant monocytic infiltration without apparent phagocytic activity is well known in human gliomas, while other types of human intracranial tumours have not yet been investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed LCA-positive lymphocytes and CD68-positive macrophages/microglia by immunohistochemistry in 67 intracranial neoplasms: 18 glioblastomas (GBM), 14 primitive neuroectodermal tumours and medulloblastomas (PNET), metastases of 9 adenocarcinomas and of 8 malignant melanomas, and 18 benign meningiomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of monocytic infiltration in GBM and adenocarcinomas were higher than in PNET and meningiomas. Lymphocytes were rare in all tested tumours. No differences were found between all malignant neoplasms and benign meningiomas and between primary intracranial and metastatic tumours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malignancy or primary intracranial origin seem not to be major determinants of immune cell infiltration. Different patterns of cytokine production may explain the differences in single tumour entities.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Research, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Germany. herwig.strik@med.uni-goettingen.de
authors.forename: Herwig M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Strik
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stoll
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meyermann
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000276:immunology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology*; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008579:Meningioma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018242:Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule