ANALYSIS OF CLONALITY OF TUMOR INFILTRATING LYMPHOCYTES IN BREAST-CANCER AND UVEAL MELANOMA

Fresh tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from 6 uveal melanomas and 4 breast cancers were analysed by flow cytometry with a panel of 6 monoclonal antibodies to Vbeta regions of the T cell receptor (Vbetas 5a, 5b, 5c, 6, 8a and 12a). With a single exception where one TIL sample lacked Vbeta12a, lymphocytes from both tumour and blood contained cells reactive with all 6 probes, and no probe was highly dominant or missing. The proportions of reactive cells differed between tumour and blood within each patient. The data indicate that while tumour infiltrating lymphocytes have a capacity to locate selectively within the tumour they nonetheless comprise a population expressing a diversity of TCR Vbeta genes.