1987 Volume 78 Issue 12 Pages 2140-2146
Local immunocompetence in patients with bladder tumors was evaluated by immunohistochemical technique with monoclonal antibodies. In the current study, we examined the subpopulations of tissue infiltrating lymphocytes. Simultaneously, subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes were investigated by flow cytometry.
Frozen specimens examined were from 25 bladder cancers and 4 non-canerous tissues. Six serial sections were stained with Leu4, 7, 10, M3, OKT4 and OKT8. Also, the degree of tissue infiltrating lymphocytes was compared with clinical manifestations of the patients.
Survival rates in the severe tissue infiltrating lymphocytes group were significantly greater than those in the scanty infiltrating group. T cells were predominant over B cells in 19 out of 25 bladder tumors. T cell infiltration was prominent around tumor cells, whereas B cells were scarce in the stroma. T cell infiltration was marked in the non-invasive group. In patients with low stage tumors, OKT8 cells were more prominent than OKT4 cells. NK cells accmulated around the cancer cells and infiltrated within cancer nests, unlike T cells. The infiltration of NK cells was scanty in high stages. Macrophages were scattered only slightly in 13 cases. On the other hand, subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes measured by flow cytometry were not correlated with stages.
These findings suggest the presence of local immunosurveillance against bladder tumor. It may be important to clarify the characterization of tissue infiltrating lymphocytes to elucidate host immune response against tumor.
