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FOXP3+ Cell Density in Primary Tumor Has No Prognostic Impact in Patients with Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma

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Pathology & Oncology Research

Abstract

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been implicated as inhibitors of antitumor immune reactions. However, data on the relevance of their prevalence at tumor sites in influencing disease outcome are controversial. The aim of our study was to investigate the role in tumor progression and the prognostic impact of the density of lymphocytes expressing FOXP3, a transcription factor expressed predominantly by CD4+CD25+ Tregs, in primary cutaneous melanoma. We examined the infiltration of FOXP3+ cells by immunohistochemistry in tumor samples from 97 patients and evaluated in relation to patient and tumor parameters. The degree of infiltration by FOXP3+ cells did not show correlation with the thickness of melanomas. Moreover, no associations were found with metastasis formation during the 5-year follow-up period, patient survival, or any other clinicopathologic parameters studied. These results suggest that the presence of FOXP3+ lymphocytes in primary tumors is not of prognostic importance in human cutaneous melanoma.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Katalin Derecskei, Ibolya Sinka and Miklós Kónya (National Institute of Oncology) for their excellent technical assistance. The study was supported by Hungarian Ministry of Health grant ETT 308/2003 (AL), Hungarian Scientific Research Fund grant OTKA K 72836 (AL), and NKFP1a-0024-05 (JT).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Surgical and Molecular Tumor Pathology, National Institute of Oncology, 7–9. Ráth György u., Budapest, 1122, Hungary

    Andrea Ladányi

  2. Department of Dermatology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary

    Gabriella Liszkay, Katalin Gilde & Zsuzsanna Fejős

  3. National Cancer Registry, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary

    István Gaudi

  4. Institute of Dermato-Venerology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

    Beáta Somlai

  5. 1st Institute of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

    Anita Mohos

  6. 2nd Institute of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

    József Tímár

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  1. Andrea Ladányi
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Correspondence to Andrea Ladányi.

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Ladányi, A., Mohos, A., Somlai, B. et al. FOXP3+ Cell Density in Primary Tumor Has No Prognostic Impact in Patients with Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma. Pathol. Oncol. Res. 16, 303–309 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12253-010-9254-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12253-010-9254-x

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