Stromal plasma cells expressing immunoglobulin G4 subclass in non-small cell lung cancer

Hum Pathol. 2013 Aug;44(8):1569-76. doi: 10.1016/j.humpath.2013.01.002. Epub 2013 Mar 1.

Abstract

Inflammatory cell infiltration in tumor stroma may represent the interaction between the tumor and the immune system. The significance of immunoglobulin (Ig) G4+ plasmacytic infiltration, however, is poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the number of stromal IgG4+ plasma cells and the IgG4/IgG ratio of plasma cells in 294 primary non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) using tissue microarray (TMA) and conventional surgical specimens. In TMA, 35 (12%) cases of NSCLC revealed more than 20 IgG4+ plasma cells per high-power field. In surgical specimens, most (97%) of those IgG4+ plasma cell-enriched cases showed obliterative phlebitis or arteritis, one of the key morphologic features of IgG4-related disease, within or at the periphery of the tumor. Clinically, none of the patients showed symptoms associated with IgG4-related systemic diseases. In patients with stage I squamous cell carcinoma, IgG4-enriched stroma was significantly associated with a favorable prognosis (P = .04). In conclusion, considerable IgG4+ plasma cell infiltration can be seen in a minority of cases of NSCLC and might contribute to prognostic modulation of NSCLC.

Keywords: IgG4; Lung carcinoma; Plasma cell; Tissue microarray.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / immunology*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lung Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Plasma Cells / immunology*
  • Plasma Cells / pathology
  • Prognosis
  • Stromal Cells / immunology*
  • Stromal Cells / pathology
  • Tissue Array Analysis
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin G