title: Relationship between the expression of HLA-DR antigen and the effectiveness of preoperative hyperthermo-chemo-radiotherapy in oesophageal cancer.
abstract: Based on the hypothesis that tumour cells expressing HLA-DR antigen would easily be damaged by the local immune response during preoperative treatments, the relationship was investigated between the expression of HLA-DR antigen in the oesophageal cancer and the effectiveness of the preoperative treatment. Immunohistochemical staining for the detection of HLA-DR antigen in cancer cells from biopsy specimens obtained before undergoing preoperative hyperthermo-chemo-radiotherapy (HCR therapy) in patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma was performed, and the relationship between the expression of HLA-DR antigen and the effectiveness of HCR therapy was evaluated according to a histopathologic examination of resected specimen. A total of 35 cases were examined in which 14 showed strongly positive staining (+2), 14 weakly positive staining (+) and seven negative staining (-). No significant differences in the clinicopathologic factors between the groups were observed. In the 14 strongly positive HLA-DR antigen cases, nine were markedly effective (grade 3) (64.3%), four were moderately effective (grade 2) (28.6%) and one was slightly effective or ineffective (grade 1, 0) (7.1%). In the 14 weakly positive HLA-DR antigen cases, the markedly, moderately and slightly or ineffective cases numbered four (28.6%), eight (57.1%) and two (14.3%), respectively. On the other hand, in the seven patients showing no HLA-DR expression, the markedly, moderately and slightly effective cases numbered one (14.3%), two (28.6%) and four (57.1%), respectively. A statistical difference was observed between the cases of strongly positive and negative staining for HLA-DR antigen (p < 0.05). The expression of HLA-DR antigen in oesophageal cancer cells is thus considered to potentially be a valuable factor for predicting the effectiveness of preoperative treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwano
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saeki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sonoda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimachi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens