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Ganglioside, Adhesion Molecule, and HLA Antigen Expression in Basal Cell Carcinoma Lesions¹

Department of Dermatology [T. K., T. O., S. H., A. Y., T. K.] and Second Department of Internal Medicine [H. N., K. H., K. T.], Kumamoto University Medical School, Kumamoto, Japan, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York 10595 [S. F.]

The antigenic profile of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) cells was analyzed by immunoperoxidase staining of 27 surgically removed BCC lesions with antiganglioside, antiadhesion molecule, and antihistocompatibility locus antigen (HLA) monoclonal antibodies (MoAb). The large majority of BCC lesions were stained by antiganglioside MoAb; among the latter the anti-G_D3 ganglioside MoAb R24 displayed the broadest reactivity. The G_D3 ganglioside expression by BCC cells, which was corroborated by thin layer chromatography immunostaining with MoAb R24, appears to be a proliferation dependent phenomenon. Among the adhesion molecules tested vitronectin receptor and CDw44 were found in up to 70% of the lesions tested, while intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) was detected in only a low percentage of BCC cells in one lesion. ICAM-1 was not induced on BCC cells in five and three lesions removed 24 and 48 h, respectively, following the intralesional injection of -interferon. The latter enhanced HLA Class I antigen expression and induced ICAM-1 expression by the surrounding keratinocytes; furthermore -interferon induced HLA Class II antigen expression by a small percentage of BCC cells in three lesions. These results suggest that malignant transformation of keratinocytes is associated with a selective loss of susceptibility to induction by cytokines of ICAM-1 expression. Besides confirming the low HLA Class I and Class II antigen expression by BCC cells, the present investigation has shown a differential expression of distinct monomorphic determinants of HLA Class I antigens and a lower expression of HLA-A antigens than of HLA-B antigens by BCC cells. Furthermore, the present study has shown that HLA Class II antigens can be induced on BCC cells by cytokines.

¹ This work was supported by NIH Grants AI21384, CA37959, and CA39559.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Basic Science Building, Valhalla, NY 10595.

Received 12/ 3/91. Accepted 3/23/92.