[Infiltration of dendritic cells into cervical lymph nodes in laryngeal carcinoma]

Dendritic cells(DC) form a system of highly efficient antigen-presenting cells. An immunohistochemical study was performed to prove their role in immune responses against cancer.

Paraffin blocks were prepared for staining with antibody against S-100 proteins in 157 lymph nodes obtained from elective cervical lymphadenectomy in 47 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas.

The extent of infiltration by DC into the regional lymph nodes was evaluated in two groups according to negative and positive lymph node metastasis. Densities of DC ranged from 23.0 to 111.9, with an average of 57.2 +/- 16.0, in the negative metastasis nodes; and from 17.5 to 63.6, with an average of 38.3 +/- 14.9, in the positive metastasis nodes. The test revealed that the differences in population density between the two groups were significant (P < 0.001). Quantitative analysis showed that patients who survived longer than 5 years had significant higher numbers of DC in the lymph nodes than those who lived less than 5 years (P < 0.001). Densities of DC ranged from 32.0 to 111.9, with an average of 61.6 +/- 19.6, in the nodes of 20 cases of patients who survived longer than 5 years and from 17.5 to 65.8, with an average of 37.9 +/- 13.7, in the nodes of 27 cases of patients who survived less than 5 years.

DC may be more directly involved in the host immune reaction against tumor by means of the most important antigen-presenting cells. DC in the cervical lymph nodes are important for establishing immunologic defense mechanisms in cases of laryngeal carcinomas, and the densities of DC can serve as a useful indicator in assessing prognosis of laryngeal carcinomas.