Clinical and laboratory study
CD8-positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes influence the long-term survival of patients with mycosis fungoides

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Abstract

Background: Nonneoplastic mononuclear cells commonly infiltrate lesions of mycosis fungoides.

Objective: We sought to determine the immunophenotypic characteristics of these cells and to determine whether the presence of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes has an impact on prognosis.

Methods: Skin biopsy specimens from 78 patients were stained with immunopleroxidase techniques to determine their phenotypic characteristics. The proportion of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was quantified and compared with stage of disease and survival rate.

Results: Patients with more limited T-stage disease tended to have a higher proportion of CD8+ cells in their skin biopsy specimens, compared with patients with more advanced T-stage disease. Within each T-stage patients with a larger proportion of CD8+ cells had a better survival rate than those with fewer CD8+ cells (p < 0.05 for T1 and T3). A multivariate analysis confirmed the importance of T stage (p = 0.0006), overal stage (p = 0.0112), and CD8 positivity (p = 0.0335) in this cohort of patients.

Conclusion: CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in mycosis fungoides correlate with improved survival rate and may exert an antitumor effect rather than being mere bystander cells.

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Supported in part by grants CA 34233 and CA 33119 from the National Cancer Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.