Human Leukocyte Antigen Class II and Cervical Cancer Risk: A Population-Based Study

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 2002-12, Vol.186 (11), p.1565-1574
• Main Authors: Madeleine, Margaret M., Brumback, Babette, Cushing-Haugen, Kara L., Schwartz, Stephen M., Daling, Janet R., Smith, Anajane G., Nelson, J. Lee, Porter, Peggy, Shera, Katherine A., McDougall, James K., Galloway, Denise A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alleles; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - epidemiology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - genetics; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - virology; Case-Control Studies; Cervical cancer; Female; Female genital diseases; Genes, MHC Class II - genetics; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Haplotypes; HLA antigens; HLA-DQ Antigens - genetics; HLA-DQ beta-Chains; HLA-DR Antigens - genetics; HLA-DRB1 Chains; Human papillomavirus 16; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Lesions; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Papillomaviridae - genetics; Papillomaviridae - isolation & purification; Papillomavirus Infections - complications; Papillomavirus Infections - virology; Polymorphism, Genetic; Risk Factors; T lymphocytes; Tumor Virus Infections - complications; Tumor Virus Infections - virology; Tumors; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - epidemiology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - genetics; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - virology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the genital and urinary system
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/345285

The critical role of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system in presenting peptides to antigen-specific T cell receptors may explain why only some human papillomavirus (HPV)–infected women progress to cervical cancer. HLA class II DRB1 and DQB1 genes were examined in 315 women with invasive squamous cell cervical cancer (SCC) and 381 control subjects. Increased risks of SCC were associated with DRB1*1001, DRB1*1101, and DQB1*0301, and decreased risks were associated with DRB1*0301 and DRB1*13. Of squamous cell tumors, those containing HPV-16 were different from those not containing HPV-16 for 3 alleles: DRB1*0401, DRB1*07, and DQB1*06. Increased risks of SCC were associated with DRB1*0401-DQB1*0301 (odds ratio [OR], 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–2.7) and DRB1*1101-DQB1*0301 (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.4–4.5), and decreased risks were associated with DRB1*0301-DQB1*02 (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5–1.0) and DRB1*13-DQB1*06 (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4–0.9) haplotypes. These results add to the evidence that certain HLA class II alleles or allele combinations, or genes linked to them, make some women more susceptible to SCC