Langerhans cells (LC) are bone marrow deriveddendritic cells that represent the major antigen-presenting cells (APC) in theskin, thus representing an integral part of the cutaneous immune response. Immunossupressiondecreases their number, including HIV infection, and skin tumors products aresufficient to immobilize LC within the tumor, preventing their migration tolymph nodes. This reduces the number of T cells that infiltrate the tumor, preventingregression.
OBJETIVE: Our proposal was to know what are the differences among LCcounts comparing HIV-positive and –negative patients with anal carcinoma.
METHOD: We evaluated 24 patients, 14 with HIV and 10 HIV-negative. Treatmentfor carcinoma was similar in both groups. Paraffin blocks containing biopsieswere cut and stained with antibody anti-CD68. LC were counted in a histometricalway and number were compared to previous known specimens of HIV-negative patientswithout infectious anorectal diseases. We also studied cancer evolution andT CD4+ lymphocytes blood counts of HIV-positive patients.
RESULTS: Statistics showed that anal carcinomas were more frequent infemales HIV-negative and in seropositive males. HIV-positive patients were youngerthan seronegative ones. LC were decreased in seropositive patients and the mostnumerous counts were associated to worse prognosis. HIV-positive patients whohad the most decreased T CD4+ counts had the worst prognosis, too.
CONCLUSION: We conclude that LC were decreased in HIV-positive patientswith anal carcinoma rather than in seronegative.
