title: HLA antigen expression in routinely processed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma primary lesions of different sites.
abstract: HLA class I and II antigen expression in routinely processed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) primary lesions was evaluated. Paraffin embedded samples from 66 squamous cell carcinomas and 7 verrucous carcinomas were studied immunohistochemically using recently developed anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) HC10 and HCA2, and anti-HLA-DR rabbit serum. Percent stained tumor cells were scored in 1 of 5 categories. The scores of 40 tumors were compared to the staining results obtained on frozen sections of the corresponding lesions, including those of the anti-class I MAb W6/32. High percentage-matched scores for paraffin and frozen sections were obtained, with HC10 vs. HC10, HC10 vs. W6/32, and anti-HLA-DR vs. anti-HLA-DR showing the best correlations. In the squamous cell carcinomas HLA class I expression was high (i.e., in 49/66 lesions more than 50% cells were stained), and correlated with the degree of differentiation, and inversely with the modified Jakobsson score. HLA class II expression (more than 5% cells stained) was found in 21/66 tumors and correlated inversely with the degree of differentiation. All verrucous carcinomas exhibited very high HLA class I expression, whereas class II was locally expressed in 5/7 lesions. Comparison of 4 subsites of HNSCC showed that carcinomas of the oral cavity had the highest HLA class I expression. This suggests susceptibility to CD8+ T cells, and together with the well developed submucosal lymphoid tissue, makes the oral cavity carcinomas probably well suited for local immunotherapeutic approaches in HNSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mattijssen
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: De Mulder
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schalkwijk
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Manni
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van 't Hof-Grootenboer
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ruiter
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006681:HLA-D Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I