HLA molecules in basal cell carcinoma of the skin.
Fifty basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and 8 samples of healthy skin were studied for HLA class I and class II antigen expression and for the presence of mutations in codon 12 of the K-ras and H-ras genes. All samples of healthy skin and of epithelium near the tumor showed high levels of class I molecules, whereas 38% of the tumors showed complete absence. Sixty-two percent of the tumors presented positive class I expression with heterogeneous staining. These losses were due to the simultaneous lack of heavy chain and beta 2-microglobulin. Selective losses of HLA-A or HLA-B antigens were not detected. Class II antigens were absent in most of the tumors, only two tumors showing a few weakly positive cells with anti-HLA-DR mAb. The loss of class I expression correlated significantly with the degree of histological differentiation and aggressiveness. We were unable to correlate class I expression with clinical size, depth of invasion or the extent of leukocytic infiltrate surrounding the tumor. Analysis by PCR amplification of codon 12 of the K-ras and H-ras oncogenes detected H-ras mutations in 1 out of 50 cases, and no K-ras mutations in any of the tumors studied. Thus, a positive relationship between K-ras and H-ras mutations and BCC tumorigenesis or MHC alterations seems unlikely in this neoplasia.
Cabrera
T
T
Servicio de Anális Clínicos e Inmunología, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain.
Garrido
V
V
Concha
A
A
Martín
J
J
Esquivias
J
J
Oliva
M R
MR
Ruiz-Cabello
F
F
Serrano
S
S
Garrido
F
F
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D011905:Genes, ras; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens