title: Is poor prognosis really related to HLA-DR expression by malignant melanoma cells?
abstract: HLA-DR expression was examined in 50 consecutive primary cutaneous malignant melanomas with a Breslow depth greater than 2 mm using two well-characterized monoclonal antibodies which detect fixation-resistant epitopes. In 31 of these cases (62%) a subpopulation of tumour cells was reactive, although there was considerable heterogeneity. Positive labelling did not correlate with depth but was associated with a reduced likelihood of developing early metastatic disease and a tendency for better overall survival, particularly in male patients. These findings contrast with earlier studies using cryostat sections and one study on paraffin-embedded tissue in which HLA-DR expression was shown to be a poor prognostic factor, but are consistent with the findings in other malignant tumours studied. The significance of HLA-DR expression as a marker of prognosis may depend on the type of tissue preparation, the sensitivity of the immunocytochemical techniques used and the method of assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Colloby
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens