Y. Tokura et al., HALO CONGENITAL NEVUS UNDERGOING SPONTANEOUS REGRESSION - INVOLVEMENTOF T-CELL IMMUNITY IN INVOLUTION AND PRESENCE OF CIRCULATING ANTI-NEVUS CELL IGM ANTIBODIES, Archives of dermatology, 130(8), 1994, pp. 1036-1041
Background: Halo congenital nevus is a condition in which halo formati
on is associated with congenital nevocellular nevi. Although several t
heories have been proposed, the immunologic mechanisms of halo formati
on and concomitant nevus regression still remain unclear. We presented
immunologic findings in a case of halo congenital nevus with unique h
istologic location of inflammatory cells. Observations: Histologically
, the present case of halo congenital nevus undergoing spontaneous reg
ression showed a marked inflammatory infiltrate with remnants of origi
nal nevus cell nests. In the infiltrating T cells, CD8(+) cells outnum
bered CD4(+) cells and the infiltrate of natural killer cells was not
substantial. Direct and indirect immunofluorescence studies demonstrat
ed the presence of IgM antibodies against nevus cells as well as melan
oma cells and cultured melanocytes in the patient's serum. Conclusions
: Our findings suggest that both T-cell-mediated immunity and IgM anti
bodies may be involved in the regression of halo congenital nevus. How
ever, it is important to point out that our results may simply be epip
henomena and not directly responsible for the destruction of nevus cel
ls.