title: HLA-A2 allelic microvariants in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: HLA-A2-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC; n = 38) and normal control (n = 51) populations were analysed by high-resolution oligotyping to identify A2 allelic microvariants. Within the control group, A*0207 was found to be the most common allele, accounting for 50% of the A2 frequency in normals. In contrast, this allele was found to be present in only 23% of NPC cases, suggesting a protective effect. Of these 9 NPC patients with A*0207, all were associated with B46, unlike in the control group, where it can be found associated with non-B46 antigens. Another allele, A*0201, which was thought to be protective against NPC was in fact present in 39.5% of NPC patients, more than twice the frequency in controls. These data confirm that A*0201 is not a protective allele for NPC, and other factors such as the A*0207, non-B46 haplotype are of greater importance.
authors.affiliation: W.H.O. Collaborating Center for Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology*; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes
chemical_list: D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes