Loss of colonic HLA antigens in familial adenomatous polyposis

The loss of HLA antigens by neoplastic cells is considered important for tumor growth and metastasis, since it may allow tumors to escape immune surveillance. We studied the expression of HLA class I and II antigens in the colons of 10 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a condition...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Ill.), 1992-06, Vol.52 (12), p.3449-3452
Main Authors: TSIOULIAS, G, GODWIN, T. A, GOLDSTEIN, M. F, MCDOUGALL, C. J, NGOI SING-SHANG, DECOSSE, J. J, RIGAS, B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adenoma
Adenomatous Polyposis Coli - immunology
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Colon - immunology
Colonic Neoplasms - immunology
Female
Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen
gene expression
histocompatibility antigen HLA
Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - analysis
Histocompatibility Antigens Class II - analysis
Humans
Male
man
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
polyposis
Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus
suppression
Tumors
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Summary:The loss of HLA antigens by neoplastic cells is considered important for tumor growth and metastasis, since it may allow tumors to escape immune surveillance. We studied the expression of HLA class I and II antigens in the colons of 10 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a condition which leads inevitably to colorectal cancer. Expression of HLA class antigens was studied by immunohistochemistry in (a) adenomas from patients with FAP, (b) histologically normal mucosa distant from the adenomas, and (c) histologically normal colonic mucosa from normal subjects. The expression of HLA class I and II antigens was decreased in histologically normal mucosa from FAP patients compared to normal controls. Adenomas showed a similar but quantitatively more pronounced reduction (or loss) of HLA antigen expression. The reduction of HLA expression in adenomas was comparable to that observed in sporadic colon carcinomas. This generalized suppression of HLA gene expression in the colon of FAP patients, which precedes the onset of overt histological manifestations of neoplasia, may be an important early event in colon carcinogenesis.
ISSN:0008-5472
1538-7445