CD1a-positive infiltrating-dendritic cell density and 5-year survival from human breast cancer

Abstract

Infiltrating CD1aþ dendritic cells (DCs) have been associated with increased survival in a number of human cancers. This study investigated DC infiltration within breast cancers and the association with survival. Classical established prognostic factors, of tumour size, lymph node status, histological grade, lympho-vascular invasion, the KI-67 (MIB-1) fraction and the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) were also compared. A total of 48 breast cancer patients were followed from the time of surgery and CD1a density analysis for 5 years or until death. Our data set validated previous studies, which show a relationship between survival and the NPI (Po0.001), tumour size (Po0.01) and lymph node status (Po0.05). Although more patients were alive at the 5-year time point in the group with higher CD1a DC density than the lower CD1a DC group, this failed to reach statistical significance at the P ¼ 0.05 level. Analysis at 10 years postsurgery is required to investigate the association further.

CD1a expression by Barrett's metaplasia of gastric type may help to predict its evolution towards cancer

“…Moreover, we suppose that CD1a expression may have an antitumoral role in BM mucosa, and also, as postulated, in neoplastic diseases arising at other anatomic sites (Coventry and Morton, 2003a;Coventry and Heinzel, 2004;Poindexter et al, 2004). As a future objective, epithelial CD1a þ cells interaction with DCs or T cells remains to be further investigated.…”

“…The antitumoral role of CD1a was recently proposed (Coventry and Morton, 2003a;Coventry and Heinzel, 2004;La Rocca et al, 2004). We also recently described that CD1a could be expressed in metaplastic epithelium of Barrett's oesophagus, both gastric and intestinal types, while normal gastric and colonic mucosa were negative to this marker (Cappello et al, 2003).…”

“…CD1a is a surface glycoprotein of 43 -49 kDa that has been shown to be expressed by dendritic cells (DCs), cortical thymocytes and Langerhans cells of the skin (Dezutter-Dambuyant et al, 1990;Krenacs et al, 1993;Gregory et al, 2000). Moreover, the research of CD1a is commonly used to differentiate various cutaneous T-cell lymphomas from B-cell lymphomasand pseudolymphomas (Arai et al, 1999;Schmuth et al, 2001).The antitumoral role of CD1a was recently proposed (Coventry and Morton, 2003a;Coventry and Heinzel, 2004;La Rocca et al, 2004). We also recently described that CD1a could be expressed in metaplastic epithelium of Barrett's oesophagus, both gastric and intestinal types, while normal gastric and colonic mucosa were negative to this marker (Cappello et al, 2003).…”

The effect of anti-VEGF therapy on immature myeloid cell and dendritic cells in cancer patients

“…Central to pathways for activating tumor antigen-specific T cell and antibody responses is the uptake, processing, and presentation of the tumor antigen by dendritic cells (DC), professional antigen presenting cells [1,2]. The importance of endogenous DC has been highlighted by better clinical outcomes for patients with various tumor types when DC are found to be infiltrating the tumor [3,4].…”

Is CD1a involved in antitumour immune responses during carcinogenesis?

“…I read with interest the article of Coventry and Morton (2003) that investigated DC infiltration within breast cancers and the association with survival. Interestingly, they found that more patients were alive at the 5-year time point in the group with higher CD1a DC density than the lower CD1a DC group, but this failed to reach statistical significance at the P ¼ 0.05 level.…”