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Immunohistological analysis of anti-melanoma host responses

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Abstract

Various clinical and experimental observations point to the existence of an immunological host defense in cutaneous malignant melanoma. To identify the major effector mechanisms mediating the specific anti-tumor immune response, we examined 23 benign and neoplastic melanocytic lesions (3 nevi, 14 primary melanomas, and 3 cutaneous and 3 systemic metastases) by quantitative immunohistology, and correlated these results with the histopathological and clinical subtypes of malignant melanoma. Our analyses indicate that CD3+ T-cell receptor α/Β-expressing lymphocytes are the prevailing leukocyte subset in primary as well as secondary malignant melanoma. We further observed that in early lesions (<0.75 mm) of superficial spreading melanoma the vast majority of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) belong to the CD4+ subset and frequently express CD45RA antigens. In more advanced tumors, the contribution of CD8+ TIL gradually increases, indicating that the quality of the anti-tumor immune response changes during the course of the disease. Finally, we found that a varying percentage of cutaneous TIL express the cutaneous leukocyte antigen which is defined by the monoclonal antibody HECA 452 and preferentially expressed by skin-seeking memory T cells. In contrast, extracutaneous melanoma metastases (liver, brain, ovary) were completely devoid of HECA 452-reactive lymphocytes. These findings suggest that lymphocytes infiltrating cutaneous melanomas belong to a memory/effector T-cell subset functionally associated with the skin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases (DIAID), Department of Dermatology, University of Vienna Medical School, WÄhringer Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria

    Robert Strohal, Kathrin Marberger & Georg Stingl

  2. Division of General Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University of Vienna Medical School, A-1090, Vienna, Austria

    Hubert Pehamberger

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  1. Robert Strohal
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  2. Kathrin Marberger
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  3. Hubert Pehamberger
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  4. Georg Stingl
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Strohal, R., Marberger, K., Pehamberger, H. et al. Immunohistological analysis of anti-melanoma host responses. Arch Dermatol Res 287, 28–35 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00370715

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00370715

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