Histological evidence of natural killer cell aggregation against malignant melanoma induced by adoptive immunotherapy with lymphokine-activated killer cells

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Abstract
Adoptive immunotherapy with lymphokine‐activated killer (LAK) cells and systemic administration of recombinant Interleukin‐2 (RIL‐2) was carried out in a case of malignant melanoma with lung metastases. Histological specimens from the lung showed a metastatic melanoma heavily invaded by atypical lymphoid cells with convoluted nuclei of varying size. Immunohistochemistry revealed that these cells had the characteristic exclusively of natural killer cell (Leu‐7+). Nodules of these cells mimicked the appearance of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma of pleomorphic type. Molecular cytogenetic analysis, however, showed the absence of rearranged bands for the T‐cell receptor beta‐chain gene, indicating the absence of T‐cell clones. At autopsy, 1 month after the LAK therapy, the heavy invasion of convoluted cells had disappeared. These findings clearly indicate that the LAK cell plus RIL‐2 therapy induced Leu‐7+ lymphoid cells, phenotypically suggestive of natural killer cell aggregation in the tumours.

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