The interaction between Fas and Fas ligand is one possible immune escape mechanism used by tumour cells. In the present study, melanoma tissue from 103 patients who underwent enucleation for malignant uveal melanoma (iris melanomas excluded) was stained by immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies specific for Fas, Fas ligand, CD3, CD8, and CD68. Histological and clinical data for these tumours were assessed. Both Fas and Fas ligand were detected in uveal melanomas. Cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage rather than T-cells were the predominant group of tumour-infiltrating cells. The metastasis-free 5-year survival rates in the univariate analyses were considerably lower in patients with tumours that lacked Fas ligand expression (< 35% of the tumour cells), in the presence of more than 50 CD8-positive cells in 20 high-power fields and in the presence of more than 100 CD3-positive cells in 20 high-power fields. Fas and Fas ligand expression was associated with scleral infiltration. After adjustment for scleral infiltration, the predictive value of both Fas and Fas ligand expression was markedly decreased. In addition, the CD3- and CD8-positive cell count was positively associated with the histological cell type. Cox proportional hazards models showed that the presence of CD3- and CD8-positive cells was not an independent prognostic factor after adjusting for histological cell type. This preliminary observation deserves further investigation, which may shed more light on the immune escape mechanisms of this tumour and thus enable novel therapeutic strategies. The clinical relevance of this observation is limited, as more predictive parameters have been described for uveal melanoma.
Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.