Analysis of HLA-G expression in breast cancer tissues

Among the different mechanisms by which cancer can elude the immune system, alterations in the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules on tumor cells may play a crucial role by impairing the HLA molecules interaction with T and natural killer (NK) cells specific receptors. More...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human immunology 2002-11, Vol.63 (11), p.969-976
Main Authors: Palmisano, Giulio Lelio, Pistillo, Maria Pia, Fardin, Paolo, Capanni, Paolo, Nicolò, Guido, Salvi, Sandra, Spina, Bruno, Pasciucco, Gennaro, Ferrara, Giovanni Battista
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Blotting, Western
breast cancer
Breast Neoplasms - immunology
Female
Genes, MHC Class I
Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - analysis
Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - genetics
Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - physiology
HLA Antigens - analysis
HLA Antigens - genetics
HLA Antigens - physiology
HLA class I downregulation
HLA-G
HLA-G Antigens
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
K562 Cells
MEM-G1
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
RT-PCR
Tumor Cells, Cultured
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Summary:Among the different mechanisms by which cancer can elude the immune system, alterations in the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules on tumor cells may play a crucial role by impairing the HLA molecules interaction with T and natural killer (NK) cells specific receptors. More recently, aberrant expression of HLA-G has been described in different tumor tissues in addition to HLA class I downregulation. The HLA-G molecule is a nonclassical HLA class I antigen selectively expressed by trophoblast and thymic epithelial cells. Several studies reported that the HLA-G function might represent an additional mechanism of tumor immune escape, mainly inhibiting NK and cytotoxic T-cell activity. Here we report the analysis of HLA-G expression both at RNA level by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and at protein level by Western blot and immunohistochemistry in 25 breast cancer patient tissues. The aim of this study was to elucidate the HLA-G gene expression pattern in breast tumor tissues and correlate it with HLA class I alterations. Our results demonstrated that HLA-G molecules expression was never found even in a group of patients revealing HLA class I total loss, and that HLA-G is not expressed in breast cancer tissue with a low-tumor grade (G1–G2) and minimal stromal contamination.
ISSN:0198-8859
1879-1166
DOI:10.1016/S0198-8859(02)00642-0