SummaryThe presence of a high number of infiltrating CD1a + cells in malignant neoplasms has been reported to be associated with an improved prognosis, reduced tumour recurrence and fewer metastases. This study identified a population of CD1a + cells within the lymphoid cell infiltrate in human ductal breast carcinoma (n = 52), which was significantly different from normal breast tissue, in which only two out of nine cases expressed CD1a + cells (P = 0.0192). In the majority of cases, the infiltrate was low compared with the number of macrophages and T cells present (results not shown). There was no correlation between the number of CD1a + cells and tumour grade, with all tumour grades expressing similar numbers of infiltrating CD1a + cells. There was clear evidence, however, that the CD1a + cells were closely associated with tumour cells. It is likely that CD1a + cells have a role in antigen capture and presentation in human tumours, and this study documents the density of CD1a + cells in a large sample of all histological grades of human breast carcinomas.