On mononuclear cells in human endometrial carcinoma

The aim of this study was to evaluate the local immune reactivity in patients with untreated endometrial carcinoma. The immune assay included immunostaining of mononuclear cells in cryo- and/or paraffin sections in 19 untreated endometrial cancers and in 23 normal endometrial tissues as controls. In several cases Ficolli preparations after mechanical dispersion were successfully made with cytospin and/or cytofluorometric study of the mononuclear cells. Throughout the normal menstrual cycle as well as the postmenopausal, both T-lymphocytes and macrophages appeared in the stroma, in aggregates or diffusely scattered. B-cells were rare. During the secretory phase the highest cell number occurred, especially T-helpers (CD4) were increased. Endometrial carcinomas had higher mean values of lymphocytes (CD3, CD4 and CD8) and IL-2 receptor positive cells than normal endometrial controls. This increase of lymphocytes - and also macrophages - was related to the degree of malignancy C57 positive natural killer (NK) cells, however, were practically absent in the malignant tissue. This immunogenic activity was much stronger in endometrial cancer than that found in ovarian cancer.