Melanoma-reactive T cells in the bone marrow of melanoma patients: association with disease stage and disease duration.
Using IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot, we investigated reactivity of T cells from bone marrow and peripheral blood to melanoma lysate-pulsed autologous dendritic cells in 40 melanoma patients. Melanoma-reactive T cells were present in the bone marrow of seven patients and in peripheral blood of four patients. In the bone marrow, melanoma-reactive T cells were present in 6 of 21 stage IV patients and in 1 of 10 stage III patients, whereas none were detected in stage I to II patients (0 of 9). The occurrence of tumor-reactive bone marrow T cells in melanoma patients was associated with advanced disease stage, disease duration and tumor load, and independent of treatment. These findings provide new insights into the generation of T-cell responses in melanoma patients.
Müller-Berghaus
Jan
J
Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg and University Hospital Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany and Division of Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Ehlert
Katrin
K
Ugurel
Selma
S
Umansky
Viktor
V
Bucur
Mariana
M
Schirrmacher
Volker
V
Beckhove
Philipp
P
Schadendorf
Dirk
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000379:methods; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D007371:Interferon-gamma