High Prevalence of Activated Intraepithelial Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes and Increased Neoplastic Cell Apoptosis in Colorectal Carcinomas with Microsatellite Instability

Microsatellite instability (MSI) characterizes colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) in hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome and a proportion of sporadic CRCs. These MSI + CRCs share several clinicopathological features, including a reputation for better survival rates than MSI − cases and a pronounced stromal inflammatory reaction of still undefined nature. In the present study, the presence, spatial distribution, and activation status of infiltrating cytotoxic effectors were investigated comparatively in 18 MSI + and 37 MSI − CRCs by immunohistochemistry. The frequency of apoptosis was also evaluated by morphology and in situ end-labeling. MSI + cases carried significantly higher numbers of cytotoxic lymphocytes infiltrating within neoplastic epithelial structures, as shown by immunostaining for CD3 (15.1 ± 6.2 versus 4.6 ± 4.1, P < 0.001), CD8 (13 ± 6.4 versus 3.7 ± 3.8, P < 0.001), and TIA-1 (11.2 ± 6.5 versus1.9 ± 1.7, P < 0.001). These cytotoxic effectors were globally more activated in MSI + than in MSI − tumors, as revealed by the expression of granzyme B (5.3 ± 4.5 versus 0.6 ± 1.3, P < 0.001). In MSI + CRCs, the number of intraepithelial activated cytotoxic lymphocytes was significantly correlated with the proximal location of the tumor, a poorly differentiated phenotype, and the presence of peritumor lymphoid nodules. Multivariate analysis revealed that MSI was the major determinant of the presence of activated cytotoxic intraepithelial lymphocytes. Moreover, MSI + CRCs also showed a significantly higher percentage of tumor cells undergoing apoptotic cell death (4.1 ± 2.1 versus 2.6 ± 1.1, P < 0.0001, by the TUNEL method), often located in close proximity of activated cytotoxic lymphocytes. These results are consistent with the presence of anti-tumor cytotoxic immune responses in most of MSI + CRCs, a phenomenon that may at least in part contribute to the survival advantage ascribed to these patients.