Elevated HLA-E levels in human glioblastomas but not in grade I to III astrocytomas correlate with infiltrating CD8+ cells.
HLA-E is a ligand for the immune-inhibitory NKG2A receptor expressed on NK and T cells. To investigate HLA-E expression and immune cell infiltration in human astrocytic tumors in vivo, we analyzed normal CNS controls and astrocytomas of all WHO grades by immunohistochemistry. Both, CD8(+) immune cell infiltration and HLA-E expression were significantly higher in astrocytic tumors than in normal brain. Further, HLA-E expression levels and immune cell infiltration were significantly correlated in WHO grade IV glioblastomas. Thus, HLA-E overexpression in glioblastomas may be triggered by T and NK cell infiltration.
Institute of Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Calwerstr. 3, D-72076 Tuebingen, Germany. michel-guy-andr.mittelbronn@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Michel
M
Mittelbronn
Perikles
P
Simon
Christian
C
Löffler
David
D
Capper
Benedikt
B
Bunz
Patrick
P
Harter
Holger
H
Schlaszus
Ariane
A
Schleich
Ghazaleh
G
Tabatabai
Benjamin
B
Goeppert
Richard
R
Meyermann
Michael
M
Weller
Jörg
J
Wischhusen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
D006680:HLA Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens