Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) expression in cervical cancer lesions is associated with disease progression

• Published in: Human immunology Vol. 73; no. 9; pp. 946 - 949
• Main Authors: Li, Xiang-Juan, Zhang, Xia, Lin, Aifen, Ruan, Yan-Yun, Yan, Wei-Hua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2012
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Allergy and Immunology; Disease Progression; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; HLA-G Antigens - genetics; HLA-G Antigens - metabolism; Humans; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - genetics; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - metabolism; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - pathology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0198-8859; 1879-1166
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2012.07.041

Abstract The immunotolerant human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G has direct inhibitory effects on natural killer cells, dendritic cells, T cells and can indirectly induce tolerant regulatory cells. The significance of the aberrant HLA-G expression in malignant contexts has been intensively investigated. In the current study, HLA-G expression in 22 normal cervical tissues, 14 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) patients and 129 patients with squamous cell cervical cancer were examined using immunohistochemistry. The association of HLA-G expression with disease progression was calculated with the Pearson Chi-square test. It was found that HLA-G expression was absent in normal cervical tissues, and that HLA-G expression was increased from patients with CIN III (35.7%, 4/14) to patients with cervical cancer (62.8%, 81/129). Among the cervical cancer patients, HLA-G expression in FIGO stage I, II, and stage III+IV was 53.6% (45/84), 76.3% (29/38), and 100.0% (7/7), respectively. Taken together, our findings indicated that HLA-G expression was associated with the disease progression in patients with cervical cancer.