Author(s):
Cunha, D ; Neves, M ; Silva, D ; Silvestre, AR ; Nunes, PB ; Arrobas, F ; Ribot, JC ; Ferreira, F ; Moita, LF ; Soares-de-Almeida, L ; Silva, JM ; Filipe, P ; Ferreira, J
Date: 2024
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/51180
Origin: Saúde - CUF
Subject(s): Carcinoma Basocelular; Carcinoma de Células Escamosas; Linfócitos do Interstício Tumoral; Neoplasias da Pele; Células Th1; Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating; Skin Neoplasms; Th1 Cells
Description
Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are high-incidence, non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs). The success of immune-targeted therapies in advanced NMSCs led us to anticipate that NMSCs harbored significant populations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes with potential anti-tumor activity. The main aim of this study was to characterize T cells infiltrating NMSCs. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry were used to assess, respectively, the proportions and densities of T cell subpopulations in BCCs (n = 118), SCCs (n = 33), and normal skin (NS, n = 30). CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cell subsets, namely, Th1, Th2, Th17, Th9, and regulatory T cells (Tregs), CD8+ and CD4+ memory T cells, and γδ T cells were compared between NMSCs and NS samples. Remarkably, both BCCs and SCCs featured a significantly higher Th1/Th2 ratio (~four-fold) and an enrichment for Th17 cells. NMSCs also showed a significant enrichment for IFN-γ-producing CD8+T cells, and a depletion of γδ T cells. Using immunohistochemistry, NMSCs featured denser T cell infiltrates (CD4+, CD8+, and Tregs) than NS. Overall, these data favor a Th1-predominant response in BCCs and SCCs, providing support for immune-based treatments in NMSCs. Th17-mediated inflammation may play a role in the progression of NMSCs and thus become a potential therapeutic target in NMSCs.
