Expression of human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) correlates with poor prognosis in gastric carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
We had previously demonstrated that human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) was expressed in a majority of primary colorectal carcinomas and that the detection of HLA-G expression had a strong and independent prognostic value for that cancer. Currently, we investigate whether or not HLA-G is also expressed in patients with gastric carcinoma and whether the expression has any clinical application value.


METHODS
The expression of HLA-G was investigated immunohistochemically in 160 patients with gastric carcinoma. The correlation between HLA-G status and various clinicopathological parameters was analyzed with the levels of HLA-G expression used to compare the survival length amongst patients.


RESULTS
HLA-G protein expression was observed in 71% (113 of 160) of the primary site of gastric carcinomas, but not in the normal stomach tissues. HLA-G expression in the tumors was significantly correlated with the tumor location, histological grade, depth of invasion, lymph nodal metastasis, clinical stages of the disease, and host immune response (P = .012, .008, .001, .038, .030, and .016, respectively). Patients with HLA-G positive tumors had a significantly shorter survival time than those patients with tumors that were HLA-G negative (P = .001). As well, in multivariate analysis, HLA-G demonstrated an independent prognostic factor (P = .0001, relative risk 9.08; 95% confidence interval, 3.44-24.0).


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, our results indicated that the expression of HLA-G is a characteristic feature of gastric carcinoma and that immunostaining by anti-HLA-G antibody may be a potentially useful prognostic indicator.
Yie
Shang-Mian
SM
Chengdu Bioengineering Institute for Cancer Research, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China. shangmian.yie@gmail.com
Yang
Hong
H
Ye
Shang-Rong
SR
Li
Ke
K
Dong
Dan-Dan
DD
Lin
Xin-Mei
XM
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000473:pathology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006680:HLA Antigens; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I