Significant reduction of T-cell chemotaxis to MCP-1 in patients with primary and metastatic melanoma

Objective To address whether circulating T cells from the patients with primary and metastatic malignant melanoma show altered chemotaxis to monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP 1) and its relation to tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) and metastasis Methods Chemotactic response of T cells towards MCP 1 and immuno histochemistry study of TIL and tumor associated macrophages (TAM) were investigated in patients with primary and metastatic melanoma compared to patients with basal cell carcinoma and healthy persons Results T cells from patients with primary and metastatic melanoma showed a significantly decreased chemotactic migration towards MCP 1 and T cells from patients with basal cell carcinoma showed normal chemotactic response Immuno histochemistry study showed that there was no correlation between the number of TIL and the decreased chemotaxis of circulating T cells to MCP 1 in patients with primary melanoma Conclusions Circulating T cells from patients with primary and metastatic melanoma showed a MCP 1 specific decrease in chemotactic migration This may be due to abnormal expression or modulation of MCP 1 receptor expression on these cells