T-cell infiltration of primary CNS lymphoma

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Abstract
We stained 13 primary CNS lymphomas (PCNSLs) (six from patients with AIDS, seven from immunocompetent patients) with a panel of antibodies to T cells (pan T cell [CD3], T helper cell [CD4], T suppressor cell [CD8], delta/Delta cell [CD4minus 8minus]), B cells (CD20), hematopoietic cells (T200), and NK cell (CD56).We estimated the percentage of tumor cells staining with each antibody. All tumors were B-cell lymphomas. The non-AIDS tumors showed a significant infiltration with CD3plus cells (mean of 10.82% of total cells). The AIDS patients' tumors showed a smaller percentage of CD3plus infiltrating cells (mean, 4 88% of total cells) (p less than 0.01) CD4plus cells were 9.11% of the total hematopoietic cells in the non-AIDS patients and 3.13% in AIDS patients (p less than 0.01). AIDS patients showed some CD8plus cells (0.3%), which was significantly higher than in immunocompetent patients (0%) (p less than 0.05). Very few tumor cells stained with the NK cell and delta/Delta cell markers. Both immunocompetent and AIDS patients with PCNSL exhibit significant CD3plus and CD4plus cell infiltration of their tumors, this infiltration is significantly lower in AIDS patients. AIDS patients show a minor CD8plus cell infiltration of their tumors. These results on PCNSL are different from systemic lymphomas, which show a higher CD4 and CD8 cell infiltration, and may offer insights into the more aggressive nature of AIDS-related PCNSL. NEUROLOGY 1996;46: 440-444