Tissue-Specific Homing of Immune Cells in Malignant Skin Tumors

• Published in: Pathology oncology research Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 749 - 759
• Main Authors: Jókai, Hajnalka, Marschalkó, Márta, Csomor, Judit, Szakonyi, József, Kontár, Orsolya, Barna, Gábor, Kárpáti, Sarolta, Holló, Péter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.10.2012
• Subjects: Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte - immunology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cancer Research; Carcinoma - immunology; Carcinoma - pathology; Humans; Immunology; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous - immunology; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous - pathology; Melanoma - immunology; Melanoma - pathology; Membrane Glycoproteins - immunology; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Oncology; Pathology; Receptors, Chemokine - immunology; Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing - immunology; Review; Skin Neoplasms - immunology; Skin Neoplasms - pathology; Cutaneous lymphocyte associated antigen; Squamous cell carcinoma; Basal cell carcinoma; Malignant melanoma; Lymphocyte homing receptors; Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
• ISSN: 1219-4956; 1532-2807
• DOI: 10.1007/s12253-012-9529-5

Tissue-specific migration of immune cells involved both in physiological and pathological immune responses is a current research subject for medical science. Several homing molecules have been identified orchestrating extravasation of immune cells to certain peripheral non-lymphoid tissues such as gut, lung and skin. Regarding lymphocyte homing to skin, the first-line defense of human body cutaneous lymphocyte associated antigen (CLA) and a group of chemokine-chemokine receptor pairs are considered to be of crucial importance. The aim of the present review is to summarize existing knowledge about skin- and tumor-specific migration of immune cells playing a major pathogenetic role in host immune responses induced by non-lymphoid malignant skin tumors as well as in the development of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL). Melanoma malignum, squamous and basal cell carcinoma evoke host immune responses and consequently a subset of reactive immune cells is recruited to site of the tumor. Regarding migratory process and exact functional role of these cells a growing number of data is available in literature. On the other hand tissue-specific immune cell homing is regarded as a key process in the pathogenesis of CTCL where malignant T-lymphocytes can be found in circulation and symptomatic skin. Hereby homing mechanism of malignant T-cells in mycosis fungoides and Sézary-syndrome as separate clinical entities of CTCL is discussed. A precise insight into the molecular background of skin- and tumor-specific immune cell migration can contribute to developing efficient vaccine therapies in non-lymphoid malignant skin tumors and beneficial treatment modalities in CTCL.