Unfavorable prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma associated with HLA-A2.
BACKGROUND
HLA class I molecules present antigenic peptides to cytotoxic T lymphocytes and, thus, play an important role in immune surveillance. Since 1970s there have been many reports of an increased frequency of one or more HLA haplotype in association with autoimmune disease, and malignancy. We studied types of HLA class I antigens in 204 resected non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients and also examined its correlation with clinicopathologic features and prognosis.


METHODS
Serological typing for HLA class I antigens was performed using a microcytotoxicity test. The disease-free survival curves were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and then compared using the Logrank test. Multivariate analysis was carried out by Cox's proportional hazard method.


RESULTS
The difference in disease-free survival time between the HLA-A2 present group and A2 absent group was significant (P = 0.040). The 3-year disease-free survival rate of all patients was 44% in HLA-A2 present group and 66% in A2 absent group. When a comparison was made within the group with stage I, expression of HLA-A2 was the only independent factor that affected survival time by multivariate analysis (P = 0.0457).


CONCLUSIONS
Expression of HLA-A2 was considered as one of the unfavorable prognostic factors in NSCLC patients. Our results suggested expression of HLA-A2 in NSCLC patients was one of the mechanisms of escape from immune surveillance.
Department of Surgery II, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Iseigaoka 1-1, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu 807-8555, Japan. tomokoso@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp
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Takenoyama
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Sugaya
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Yasuda
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Eifuku
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Yoshimatsu
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Osaki
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Yasumoto
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models
D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen