Analysis of activated lymphocytes and antigen-present macrophage in human brain tumors using double immunofluorescence staining

Twenty-eight human brain tumors (18 gliomas and 10 metastatic brain tumors) were examined immunohistochemically using anti-Leu 1, -Leu 2 a, -Leu 3a + 3b, -LeuM 5, -HLA-DR, IL-2 receptor, -HLA-ABC and Ki-67 monoclonal antibodies (MoAb). Also, in the specimens, in which Leu 1+ cells and Leu M5+ cells infiltrate, simultaneous detection of Leu 2a, Leu 3a + 3b, or Leu M5 and HLA-DR, was performed by double immunofluorescence staining to analyze the T cell activation and antigen-present macrophage (M phi). Most of low-grade gliomas with low percentage of Ki-67+ cells showed only little lymphocyte and M phi's infiltration. THEre was a tendency toward a marked degree of T cell and M phi infiltration in malignant glioma with higher percentage of Ki-67+ cells. However, in metastatic brain tumors, M phi did not tend to infiltrate. IL-2 receptor+ cells was absent in the majority of brain tumors. Tumor cells and vascular endothelial cells also expressed HLA-DR antigens. The majority of tumor cells expressed HLA-A, B, C antigens. There were no correlation among the degree of T cell and M phi infiltration, MHC antigen expression, and percentage of Ki-67+ cells. Double immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that 42.4% of Leu 2a+ cells, 34.7% of Leu3a+ + 3b+ cells and 32.7% of M5+ cells are HLA-DR positive in glioma, and that 50.2% of Leu2a+ cells, 59.4% of Leu3a + 3b+ cells and 67.3% of LeuM5+ cells are HLA-DR positive in metastatic brain tumors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)