Pattern of immunological response in epithelial ovarian cancer

ABSTRACT

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of mortality from GYN malignancies as high proportion of women present with advanced stage disease at the time of diagnosis. The infiltration of human tumor by mononuclear cells called tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes [TILs] is well known in large number of tumors including melanoma, lung, breast and ovarian cancer. TILs may represent an active immune response against the tumor which may lead to more favorable prognosis and increased survival. TILs represent a mixture of T lymphocytes both helper [CD4+] in small amounts and suppressor or cytotoxic T cells [CD8+], natural killer cells [CD16+] and macrophages [CD68+]. 52 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer and 21 cases of benign ovarian tumors were investigated immunohistochemically for the ratio of [CD8+] cells and [CD68+] cells. Our results have shown that [CD8+] were seen in all malignant case with percentage varied from 10% To 60% with a mean of 24.23% while in the benign group [CD8+] cells were only seen in 6 cases and its percentage varied from 0% to 30% this difference was statically highly significant P = 0.009. [CD68+] cells were seen in all malignant cases with percentage varied from 10% to 80% with a mean 51.15% while in the benign group [CD68+] were seen only in 12 cases [57.14%] and its percentage varied from 0% to 90% with a mean of [32.86%] this difference was statistically highly significant [P = 0.006]. There was no correlation between the ratio of infiltrating [CD8+] and [CD68+] cells and tumor grade but [CD68+] infiltration was significantly higher in mucinous than serous cancers [P = 0.0005] lastly correlation between the mean number of [CD8+] and [CD68+] in malignant cases revealed a negative linear relationship means increase in the level of [CD8+] cells was associated with decrease in the level of [CD68+] [P = 0.0002]. Cytototic T ceils.[CD8+] and macrophages [CD68+] constitute a major component of the host immune response in ovarian malignancy