Frequency distribution of tissue mast cells and eosinophilic granulocytes in tumor-draining axillary and paracolic lymph nodes.

The frequency distribution of tissue mast cells and eosinophilic granulocytes in tumor-draining lymph nodes was evaluated. In total 483 axillary lymph nodes draining invasive ductal breast cancer and 162 paracolic lymph nodes draining infiltrating adenocarcinoma of the large bowel were analyzed. Significantly higher number of sinus mast cells were found in axillary lymph nodes as compared with the paracolic ones whereas eosinophilic granulocytes were more frequent in paracolic than in axillary lymph nodes. Concerning both cell systems no significant differences could be demonstrated when all lymph nodes from nodal-negative cases were compared with the lymph nodes from cases with regional lymph node metastases. Tumor-free axillary lymph nodes, however, showed a significantly higher mast cell content in the sinus and medulla than did lymph nodes bearing metastases. The number of eosinophilic granulocytes did not differ in either lymph node group.