Presence of prostate cancer metastasis correlates with lower lymph node reactivity.
BACKGROUND
Several reports suggest that the dissemination of neoplastic cells and cancer progression are associated with the generation of an immunosuppressive environment.


METHODS
In this report, we investigated immunological effects of prostate cancer by comparing metastastic and non-metastatic pelvic lymph nodes (LNs) from 25 patients with carcinomatous involvement of LNs to the non-metastatic LNs from 26 control patients with no metastatic involvement by immunohistochemistry and histological analyses.


RESULTS
Our results showed a decreased abundance of CD20+ B lymphocytes (P = 0.031), CD38+ activated lymphocytes (P = 0.038), and CD68+ macrophages (P < 0.001), and less evidence of follicular hyperplasia (P = 0.014), sinus hyperplasia (P < 0.001), and fibrosis (P=0.028) in metastatic LNs comparatively to control LNs. Finally, we observed that metastatic LNs were significantly smaller than control LNs (P = 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the development of prostate cancer LN metastasis is accompanied with smaller LN size and decreased LN reactivity suggesting the development of an immununosuppressive microenvironment.
Gannon
Philippe Olivier
PO
Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CR-CHUM) and Institut du cancer de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Alam Fahmy
Mona
M
Bégin
Louis Réal
LR
Djoukhadjian
Audrey
A
Filali-Mouhim
Abdelali
A
Lapointe
Réjean
R
Mes-Masson
Anne-Marie
AM
Saad
Fred
F
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*