title: Concomitant overexpression of heat-shock protein 70 and HLA class-I in hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I expression is reportedly frequently reduced in cancer. We examined heat-shock protein (HSP) expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  HCV-related HCC was examined in 73 patients who had undergone hepatectomy, and the relationship between HSP70 and HLA class I expressions, clinicopathological factors and survival was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemically positive results for HSP70 and HLA class I were seen in 67 (92%) and 43 cases (59%), respectively, while 38 patients (52%) were positive for both. Increased HSP70 immunoreactivity was significantly associated with high histological grade of tumor differentiation (p = 0.0179), whereas reduced HLA class I immunoreactivity was significantly associated with large tumor size (p = 0.0082). No differences were apparent between disease-free and overall survival in regard to expression levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that HSP70 expression may be related to tumor differentiation and HLA class I loss may occur with tumor growth in HCV-related HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery and Surgical Oncology (Department of Surgery II), Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hazama
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokuno
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Motonari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamesa
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Torigoe
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oka