TY - JOUR
T1 - The immunobiology of skin cancer
AU - Dellon, A. Lee
AU - Potvin, Claude
AU - Chretien, Paul B.
AU - Rogentine, C. Nicholas
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1975/3
Y1 - 1975/3
N2 - The immunobiology of skin cancer was studied with thymus-dependent lymphocyte (T cell) levels (an in vitro measure of cellular immunity), with lymphocytic infiltration (LI) of the tumor (an in vivo measure of host-tumor relationship), and with HL-A typing (a genetic measure of histocompatibility) . The T cell levels in preoperative patients with squamous (SCC) and basal (BCC) cell carcinoma were significantly lower than in the non-cancer control population (normals). The T cell levels were significantly lower in patients with large tumors than in those with small tumors. The T cell levels remained significantly low in patients cured of large tumors, but were normal in those cured of small tumors. Patients with Bowen’s disease not only had T cell levels significantly lower than normal (as a group), but there was also a significant increase in the number of patients who had T cell levels less than two standard deviations below the normal mean. This may signify that they have a greater risk of developing a second kind of malignancy elsewhere. There was a direct correlation between the degree of lymphocytic infiltration (LI) of the tumor, the tumor size, and the T cell level. Small, well-localized tumors had a marked LI and high T cell levels—while the large, deeply invasive tumors had a minimal, or absent, LI and low T cell levels. The presence of HL-A antigens 1 and 8 correlated both with a tendency toward large tumors and with low T cell levels. This may represent the association of a human immune response gene with the human histocompatibility locus. Possibilities for the application of these findings in the clinical management of skin cancer are discussed.
AB - The immunobiology of skin cancer was studied with thymus-dependent lymphocyte (T cell) levels (an in vitro measure of cellular immunity), with lymphocytic infiltration (LI) of the tumor (an in vivo measure of host-tumor relationship), and with HL-A typing (a genetic measure of histocompatibility) . The T cell levels in preoperative patients with squamous (SCC) and basal (BCC) cell carcinoma were significantly lower than in the non-cancer control population (normals). The T cell levels were significantly lower in patients with large tumors than in those with small tumors. The T cell levels remained significantly low in patients cured of large tumors, but were normal in those cured of small tumors. Patients with Bowen’s disease not only had T cell levels significantly lower than normal (as a group), but there was also a significant increase in the number of patients who had T cell levels less than two standard deviations below the normal mean. This may signify that they have a greater risk of developing a second kind of malignancy elsewhere. There was a direct correlation between the degree of lymphocytic infiltration (LI) of the tumor, the tumor size, and the T cell level. Small, well-localized tumors had a marked LI and high T cell levels—while the large, deeply invasive tumors had a minimal, or absent, LI and low T cell levels. The presence of HL-A antigens 1 and 8 correlated both with a tendency toward large tumors and with low T cell levels. This may represent the association of a human immune response gene with the human histocompatibility locus. Possibilities for the application of these findings in the clinical management of skin cancer are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0016769551&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0016769551&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/00006534-197555030-00012
DO - 10.1097/00006534-197555030-00012
M3 - Article
C2 - 1078893
AN - SCOPUS:0016769551
SN - 0032-1052
VL - 55
SP - 341
EP - 354
JO - Plastic and reconstructive surgery
JF - Plastic and reconstructive surgery
IS - 3
ER -