title: Mast cells play a protumorigenic role in primary cutaneous lymphoma.
abstract: Primary cutaneous lymphomas (PCLs) are clonal T- or B-cell neoplasms, which originate in the skin. In recent years, mast cells were described as regulators of the tumor microenvironment in different human malignancies. Here, we investigated the role of mast cells in the tumor microenvironment of PCL. We found significantly increased numbers of mast cells in skin biopsies from patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (CBCL). Mast cell infiltration was particularly prominent in the periphery, at lymphoma rims. Interestingly, CTCL and CBCL patients with a progressive course showed higher mast cell counts than stable patients, and mast cell numbers in different stages of CTCL correlated positively with disease progression. In addition, mast cell numbers positively correlated with microvessel density. Incubating primary CTCL cells with mast cell supernatant, we observed enhanced proliferation and production of cytokines. In line with our in vitro experiments, in a mouse model of cutaneous lymphoma, tumor growth in mast cell-deficient transgenic mice was significantly decreased. Taken together, these experiments show that mast cells play a protumorigenic role in CTCL and CBCL. Our data provide a rationale for exploiting tumor-associated mast cells as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target in PCL.
authors: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors: Anja
authors: A
authors: Rabenhorst
authors: Max
authors: M
authors: Schlaak
authors: Lukas C
authors: LC
authors: Heukamp
authors: Anja
authors: A
authors: Förster
authors: Sebastian
authors: S
authors: Theurich
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: von Bergwelt-Baildon
authors: Reinhard
authors: R
authors: Büttner
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Kurschat
authors: Cornelia
authors: C
authors: Mauch
authors: Axel
authors: A
authors: Roers
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Hartmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D002452:Cell Count; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016207:Cytokines