HLA-DR antigen- and S-100 protein-positive dendritic cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma— Their distribution in relation to prognosis

Summary

The distribution of immunohistochemically labeled HLA-DR antigen- and S-100 protein-positive dendritic cell (DR⁺ DC and S100⁺ DC) was investigated in 59 human esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). A dense infiltration of both DR⁺DC and S100⁺DC was detected in 11, only DR⁺ DC in two, and only S100⁺ DC in one. In the remaining 45 tumors infiltrating DC were sparse. By means of double immunostaining or the miroor section method, three different types of DC, namely S-100-negative and HLA-DR-positive DC(S100⁻ DR⁺ DC), S-100-positive and HLA-DR-negative DC(S100⁺ DR⁻ DC) and double-positive DC (S100⁺ DR⁺ DC) were clearly identified. With regard to postoperative survival, these patients with tumours in which there was a dense infiltration of DR⁺ DCs and/or S100⁺ DCs showed a significantly better survival rate than those in which DC were sparse (DR⁺ DCs—P<0.001; S100⁺ DCs—P<0.01). These results indicate that DC infiltration may be a prognostic factor in esophageal SCCs.