Selective Modulation of Paracortical Dendritic Cells and T-Lymphocytes in Breast Cancer Sentinel Lymph Nodes

Sentinel nodes (SNs), the nodes nearest a primary tumor on the direct lymphatic drainage path, are the site of earliest metastases, and in melanoma show striking immune modulation. We evaluated SNs from breast cancer patients for evidence of similar immune perturbation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether SNs from patients with breast cancer show the alterations in the histology and cytology of the paracortical areas seen in SNs from patients with melanoma. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections from 32 SNs and 32 nonsentinel nodes (NSNs) from patients with breast cancer were evaluated. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and with antibodies to S-100 protein and HLA-DR, DQ, and DP to identify interdigitating dendritic cells (IDCs), and by an antibody to CD43RA to delineate T lymphocytes. By computerized image analysis we evaluated the distribution, frequency, immunophenotype, and activation status of IDCs and associated T lymphocytes in SNs and NSNs. Average areas occupied by S-100-positive dendritic cells (DCs) in SNs and NSNs were 0.13% and 19.98%, respectively, of total nodal area (p < 0.0001). The average density of S-100-positive IDCs in SNs was 11.00/mm2 and in NSNs was 257.88/mm2 (p < 0.0001). In SNs 43.55% of DCs (4.93/mm2) were nondendritic, 51.92% (5.69/mm2) had short dendrites, and 5.2% were mature with long dendrites (0.62/mm2). In SNs the ratio of immature to mature IDCs was 7.95:1. In NSNs, 8.09% of DCs (8.5/mm2) were nondendritic, 28.22% (67.46/mm2) had short dendrites, and 63.07% (145.96/mm2) were mature DCs with long dendrites. The ratio of immature to mature DCs in NSNs was 1:6.66. The average areas occupied by HLA class II-positive DCs in SNs and NSNs were 4.21% and 31.82%, respectively, of total nodal area. The frequency of coexpression of S-100 and HLA class II by immature IDCs without dendrites was 11.27% in SNs and 15.00% in NSNs. In both SNs and NSNs (p < 0.001) all mature S-100-positive IDCs with long dendrites expressed HLA class II. CD43RA-positive T lymphocytes occupied 20.06% of total nodal area in SNs and 63.57% in NSNs (p < 0.0001). The SNs from breast cancer patients are profoundly immune modulated with, by comparison to NSNs, markedly reduced paracortical areas, densities of paracortical DCs, frequency of S-100-positive IDCs coexpressing HLA class II, and a predominance of immature nondendritic and poorly dendritic DCs.