[The relationship between prognosis of esophageal squamous carcinoma and Langerhans cell]

The operative tumor specimen of esophageal squamous carcinoma were studied with immunohistochemical (ABC) method S-100 protein staining. Under the light microscopy, we observed the morphology, number and distribution of Langerhan's cells (LC) in different portion of the tumor mass and its relationship with the pathological staging in 167 cases. We observed also the relationship between LC and the postoperative survival period in 127 cases followed for more than 3 years. These results suggested found that positive relation between the number of LC in the cancer nest and in the lymphfollicle with the increasing of TNM classification. The number of LC in the cancer nest significantly increased in state III and IV cases than II cases. On the contrary, the number of LC in the peritumor and interstitial tissue decreased while the TNM classification was increasing. These findings suggested that the survival period was shorter in patients whose LC had increased in the cancer nest, whereas the survival period would be longer in those patients whose LC had increased in the tissue around the tumor mass, in the mucosa near the tumor as well as in the interstitial tissue. These two points might be used as an immunological para-meter for the assessment of the prognosis.