FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas: association with stage and survival

FOXP3 is a unique marker for CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). In solid tumours, high numbers of Tregs are associated with a poor prognosis. Knowledge about the implications of Tregs for the behaviour of haematological malignancies is limited. In this study, skin biopsies from 86 patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) unspecified were analysed for the expression of FOXP3 on tumour cells and tumour-infiltrating Tregs. Labelling of above 10% of the neoplastic cells was seen in one case classified as an aggressive epidermotropic CD8+ cytotoxic CTCL. In the remaining 85 cases, the atypical neoplastic infiltrate was either FOXP3 negative (n=80) or contained only very occasional weakly positive cells (n=5). By contrast, all biopsies showed varying numbers of strongly FOXP3+ tumour-infiltrating Tregs. MF with early or infiltrated plaques had significantly higher numbers of FOXP3+ Tregs than CTCL unspecified or advanced MF with tumours or transformation to large cell lymphoma. An analysis of all patients demonstrated that increasing numbers of FOXP3+ Tregs were associated with improved survival in both MF and CTCL unspecified. In conclusion, our data indicate that the presence of FOXP3+ Tregs in CTCL is associated with disease stage and patient survival.