Análise do fenômeno da imunotolerância na fotocarcinogênese em lábio / Analysis of the immunotolerance phenomenon of in the lip photocarcinogenesis

RESUMO

A radiação ultravioleta (UV) do sol é a principal responsável pelo desenvolvimento do câncer de pele não-melanoma. A radiação UV induz efeitos biológicos, que promovem a fotocarcinogênese, agindo diretamente sobre o DNA, provocando mutações. Porém, tudo indica que há um efeito indireto, que induz imunossupressão. O fenômeno fisiológico da imunotolerância, que é responsável pela prevenção de doenças autoimunes e pela modulação da resposta inflamatória, pode ser aproveitado por determinadas neoplasias para escaparem do controle imunológico e reforçado pela radiação UV. Os personagens principais da imunotolerância no ambiente tumoral são células dendríticas imaturas e linfócitos T reguladores (Treg), além de inúmeras citocinas imunossupressoras. Com o objetivo de avaliar a imunotolerância na fotocarcinogênese em lábio, foram analisadas, por meio da técnica de imuno-histoquímica, 75 amostras de material fixado e emblocado em parafina, sendo 44 casos de queilite actínica (QA) nos três graus de displasia epitelial (discreta, moderada e intensa), 18 casos de carcinoma epidermoide de lábio (CEL) e 12 espécimes representativos de lábio normal (LN). Tais amostras foram submetidas aos anticorpos anti-CD83, anti-DEC-205, anti-FOXP3, anti-CD1a e anti-CD207

ABSTRACT

Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is the main cause of non-melanoma skin cancer and induces biological effects that promote photocarcinogenesis by causing mutations directly on DNA. However, there seems to be an indirect effect, which induces immunosuppession. The physiological phenomenon of immune tolerance, which is responsible for the prevention of autoimmune diseases and the modulation of inflammatory response, may be used by certain tumors to escape immune control. This phenomenon is enhanced by UV radiation. Immature dendritic cells, regulatory T cells (Treg), and also several immunosuppressive cytokines play a central role in immune tolerance associated to the tumor environment. In order to assess the immune tolerance in lip photocarcinogenesis, we analyzed 75 samples represented by 44 cases of actinic cheilitis (AC), 18 cases of lip squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and 12 specimens of normal lip. Sections were submitted by means of immunohistochemistry, to the antibodies against CD83, DEC-205, FOXP3, CD1a and CD207. Positive cells for each marker were counted in three high-power fields in each section and the results expressed by the mean number of cells per field. The results showed a large amount of Treg FOXP3+ in both AC and LSCC. There was also a strong staining for DEC-205 in the cases studied. There were an increased number of CD1a+/CD207+ Langerhans cells in the AC epithelium and LSCC islets, as well as a few cells in the connective tissue. For the marker CD83, the count of positive cells was low compared to other markers for both lesions. Therefore, we suggest an immune tolerant microenvironment both at the beginning, and in the establishment of the lip photocarcinogenesis process