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. 2011;6(9):e25160.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025160. Epub 2011 Sep 29.

Tumor site immune markers associated with risk for subsequent basal cell carcinomas

Ronald Glaser  1 , Rebecca Andridge, Eric V Yang, Arwa Y Shana'ah, Michael Di Gregorio, Min Chen, Sheri L Johnson, Lawrence A De Renne, David R Lambert, Scott D Jewell, Mark A Bechtel, Dean W Hearne, Joel Bain Herron, Janice K Kiecolt-Glaser
Affiliations

Tumor site immune markers associated with risk for subsequent basal cell carcinomas

Ronald Glaser et al. PLoS One. 2011.

Abstract

Background: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tumors are the most common skin cancer and are highly immunogenic.

Objective: The goal of this study was to assess how immune-cell related gene expression in an initial BCC tumor biopsy was related to the appearance of subsequent BCC tumors.

Materials and methods: Levels of mRNA for CD3ε (a T-cell receptor marker), CD25 (the alpha chain of the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor expressed on activated T-cells and B-cells), CD68 (a marker for monocytes/macrophages), the cell surface glycoprotein intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), the cytokine interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were measured in BCC tumor biopsies from 138 patients using real-time PCR.

Results: The median follow-up was 26.6 months, and 61% of subjects were free of new BCCs two years post-initial biopsy. Patients with low CD3ε CD25, CD68, and ICAM-1 mRNA levels had significantly shorter times before new tumors were detected (p = 0.03, p = 0.02, p = 0.003, and p = 0.08, respectively). Furthermore, older age diminished the association of mRNA levels with the appearance of subsequent tumors.

Conclusions: Our results show that levels of CD3ε, CD25, CD68, and ICAM-1 mRNA in BCC biopsies may predict risk for new BCC tumors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Kaplan-Meier curves showing tumor-free time period for patients with CD3ε mRNA levels ≥and<0.27 (the median CD3ε value).
Figure 2
Figure 2. Kaplan-Meier curves showing tumor-free time period for patients with CD25 mRNA levels ≥and<40.4 (the median CD25 value).
Figure 3
Figure 3. Kaplan-Meier curves showing tumor-free time period for patients with CD68 mRNA levels≥and <1.49 (the median CD68 value).
Figure 4
Figure 4. Kaplan-Meier curves showing tumor-free time period by composite mRNA marker score, defined as the number of mRNA markers (CD3ε, CD25, CD68, and ICAM-1) that are below the median.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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