IMMUNOHISTROCHEMISTRY AND FLOW CYTOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF INTRATUMORAL LYMPHOCYTES IN OVARIAN SEROUS ADENOCARCINOMA

Abstract

Intratumoral T-lymphocyte subpopulations were studied in 27 patients with ovarian serous adenocarcinoma, by using immunohisto- chemical techniques (n = 27) and three-color flow cytometry (n = 11).The subpopulations of intratumoral lymphocytes infiltrating the tumor parenchyma and stroma differed. The intraepithelial cells were mainly CD8+ T cells (30.7%) and CD56+ lymphocytes (25%), which were indicative of the predominance of NK cells. Stromal infil- tration was primarily presented by mature CD3+ T lymphocytes (33%). This was supported by flow cytometric studies; CD3+ constitut- ed 62—92.6% among the CD45+ intratumoral leukocytes. The CD3+CD8+/CD3+CD4+ ratio was > 2 only in 3 cases. CD25+ cells made up the bulk among the CD3+CD4+ lymphocytes - 30—60% in 6 patients

Keywords

• ovarian serous adenocarcinoma
• immunohistochemistry
• flow cytometry
• tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes