Aberrant immune responses in arsenical skin cancers

Arsenic is a well-known human carcinogen. It also impairs immune functions and activation in many aspects. However, only a small portion of arsenic-exposed population develops skin abnormalities, including Bowen's disease and skin cancers. Differential immune activation among the individuals might account for the different susceptibilities. In patients with arsenic-induced Bowen's disease, there is a selective CD4 T-cell apoptosis through tumor necrosis factor-alpha pathway, decrease in macrophage differentiation and phagocytosis, reduced Langerhans cell numbers and dendrites, altered regulatory T-cell distribution, and other immune alterations. Several lines of evidence from mouse and fish studies also confirmed the potent and multifaceted effects of arsenic in the immune system. The molecular bases of immunosuppression by arsenic in lymphocytes may include chromosomal and DNA abnormalities, decreased T-cell receptor activation, and the cellular status of oxidation and methylation. This article also reviews the causative and differential role of selective CD4 cell apoptosis and the carcinogenesis of arsenic-induced Bowen's disease.