An immunohistological examination of inflammatory cell infiltration in primary testicular seminomas

Inflammatory cell infiltration was characterized in five classical seminomatous testicular tumours using immunohistochemical techniques. These cells of immunological lineage were sited mostly around vessels. Lymphocytes were the most numerous, T cells outnumbering B cells in all sections studied. The helper/inducer subgroup predominated in the T cell family with suppressor cells more common than cytotoxic cells. Plasma cells constituted only a small percentage of this population as did natural killer cells. No Langerhans cells were identified. Phagocytic macrophages were twice as common as antigen-presenting macrophages yet T lymphocytes were 15 times more common than these antigen-presenting macrophages.