Langerhans cells in squamous intraepithelial lesions and invasive squamous cell carcinoma using antibody CD-1a in uterine cervix

Abstract

The integrity of the immune system is necessary to control tumor progression. Langerhans cells (LCs) plays a complex role in presentation and regulation of antigen processing. They are the first step to trigger and adjust an accurate adaptive immune response. We aim to analyze the presence and distribution pattern of the (LCs) in High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (High-grade SIL) and invasive squamous cell carcinoma (Invasive SCC) of the uterine cervix.

From a total of 920 non-binding uterine samples from the Pathology Service of the “Hospital Nacional de Clínicas”, a stratified random sampling was carried out, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied resulting in 23 optimal samples; with this samples, two tissue microarrays were built, with 16 cores in total, including 2 cores of control tissue. Immunohistochemistry techniques were performed with the monoclonal antibody CD-1a. Images of these slides were captured with an optical microscope (Leica DM500), a digital camera (Leica ICC50 HD) and the "LAS EZ" software. The digitized images were processed with “ImageJ” software. “Rmedic” software was used for data processing. The results were expressed in summary measures and in statistical graphs. According to the distribution of the variables, t-test and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed. Statistical significance defined by a p value less than 0.05 was considered.

Statistically significant difference was found (p<0.001) between the number of LCs observed in the epithelium of High-grade SIL and Invasive SCC. The LCs's average had a distribution composed of suprabasal layer 14.15, intermediate layer 28.69 and superficial layer 5.69 in the High-grade SIL. While in the Invasive SCC the LCs presents a distribution composed of suprabasal layer 39.2, intermediate layer 102.8 and superficial layer 23.4.

The present study suggests that there is a recruitment of LCs in the malign neoplastic process. No changes were observed in the distribution pattern between the (High-grade SIL) and the (Invasive SCC). Apart from that, the intermediate and suprabasal layers exhibited the highest density of LCs.