Depletion of CD8+ or CD4+ lymphocytes enhances susceptibility to transplantable ultraviolet radiation-induced skin tumours.
BACKGROUND
Immunosuppressed patients are extremely susceptible to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, suggesting that immunosurveillance by T lymphocytes protects against this ultraviolet radiation-induced tumour.


METHODS
To determine the relative contribution of CD8+ and CD4+ lymphocytes to immunosurveillance, we tested the effects of CD8+ or CD4+ T lymphocyte depletion on the susceptibility of C3H/HeN mice to a syngeneic UVR-induced skin tumour cell line.


RESULTS
Both anti-CD8 and anti-CD4 treatment significantly enhanced the growth of transplanted tumours. In CD8-depleted animals, tumours grew rapidly in all animals. Tumour growth in CD4-depleted animals was slower, and 50% of these mice eventually rejected their tumours. In CD4-depleted mice that did not reject their tumours, an early period of tumour growth was followed by partial regression of the tumour; a second phase of rapid tumour growth then supervened.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that both CD8+ and CD4+ lymphocytes contribute to immunosurveillance against skin cancer.
Vanbuskirk
Anne
A
Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University, 1017 Wiseman Hall, 400 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Oberyszyn
Tatiana M
TM
Kusewitt
Donna F
DF
D000818:Animals; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D007157:Immunologic Surveillance / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays