A LONG-TERM SURVIVING PATIENT WITH HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA INCLUDINGLYMPHOCYTES INFILTRATION - A CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY

In patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, a diffuse Lymphocyte infilt ration into the tumor has been reported to be a favorable prognostic f actor. Nevertheless, the mechanism of the lymphocyte infiltration. is still unknown and HLA-DR antigen expression, which is the cause of lym phocyte infiltration, has never to our Knowledge been previously repor ted in. such cases. The patient in, this case had hepatocellular carci noma with a diffuse lymphocytes infiltration. into the tumor and was a ble to survive for 6 yrs and II months without any cancer recurrence. The tissue was studied using histologic and immunohistologic methods. Microscopically, lymphocytes infiltrate along the trabeculae of cancer cells. Immunohistochemically, such infiltrated lymphocytes are mainly T lymphocytes. No Lysozyme positive cells were seen in, the tumor. HL A-DR antigen was diffusely and strongly expressed on, the endothelial cells in the tumor, however its expression was minimal on, the endothe lial cells in the non-cancerous parenchyma. T Lymphocytes infiltrated selectively towards the HLA-DR antigen, of the endothelial cells in. t he tumor and the inflammatory infiltrate may thus be related to a dist inct category of patients with a favorable prognosis.