title: BCG immunotherapy in stage I melanoma patients. Does it influence prognosis determined by HLA-DR expression in high-risk primary tumors?
abstract: Previously, we have provided evidence for a positive correlation between HLA-DR expression in primary melanoma and early metastasis. In the present study we investigated whether this relationship was modified by adjuvant BCG immunotherapy. The study comprised 107 patients with a stage I high-risk melanoma; 44 patients had been treated with BCG, whereas the remaining patients had not received any adjuvant therapy. There was no difference in disease-free survival between BCG-treated and untreated patients. Disease-free survival was significantly shorter in patients with high expression of HLA-DR antigens in the primary tumor. Subgrouping BCG-treated and control patients according to HLA-DR phenotype of the melanoma revealed a prolongation of disease-free survival in the subgroup of BCG-treated patients with no or low expression of HLA-DR antigens in the primary melanoma. BCG therapy apparently did not influence prognosis of patients with high expression of HLA-DR antigens in the tumor.
mesh_terms: D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine; D006681:HLA-D Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens