T-LYMPHOCYTES INFILTRATING ADVANCED GRADES OF CERVICAL NEOPLASIA - CD8-POSITIVE CELLS ARE RECRUITED TO INVASION

Background. Impaired cellular immunity appears to be a risk factor for progression of cervical neoplasia, but the immunobiology of neoplasti c progression is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to characterize the subpopulations of T lymphocytes that infiltrate vari ous grades of cervical neoplasia including metaplasia to invasive canc er in immunocompetent women. Method. In 65 patients with a spectrum of cervical disease ranging from normal cytology to carcinoma, the relat ive proportions of total T lymphocytes and CD4- or CD8-expressing (hel per or cytotoxic) T lymphocyte subsets were determined by immunohistoc hemistry. Results. When the invasive carcinoma stromal infiltrate was compared with the infiltrate of preinvasive lesions, the numbers of to tal T cells and the CD8-positive subset increased significantly in the invasive cancers (P < 0.005). Although immunocyte infiltrates were hi ghly concentrated in focal clusters beneath the preinvasive squamous l esions, the CD8-positive immunocytes diffusely infiltrated the invadin g tumor. Conclusions. The CD8-positive T cell infiltrate far exceeded the CD4-positive cells in the invasive, but not in the preinvasive les ions, a finding that suggests that CD8 cells are recruited preferentia lly to cervical lesions with progression to invasion.