Infiltration of dendritic cells and NK cells into the sentinel lymph node in oral cavity cancer.
The sentinel lymph node (SLN) is regarded as the first tumor-draining lymph node, which may be the initial site activated by tumor antigens. To clarify the immunological functions of SLNs, a total of 89 tumor-free regional lymph nodes (41 SLNs and 48 non-SLNs) were obtained from 12 patients with oral cavity cancer, and infiltration of both DCs and NK cells was determined by immunohistochemistry. S-100+ and CD1a+ DCs infiltrated significantly into SLNs compared to non-SLNs. Analysis in each of the pN0 and pN+ patients showed that all the DC markers in pN0 patients and only S-100+ in pN+ patients were significantly more abundant in SLNs. Moreover, infiltration of CD83+ DCs was less in pN+ patients than in pN0 patients. These results suggest that more significant immune responses against cancer occur in SLNs than in non-SLNs. However the progression of disease including nodal disease may cause systemic immunosuppression.
Sakakura
Koichi
K
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
Chikamatsu
Kazuaki
K
Sakurai
Tsutomu
T
Takahashi
Katsumasa
K
Murata
Takaaki
T
Oriuchi
Noboru
N
Furuya
Nobuhiko
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy