title: Tumor immune systems in esophageal cancer with special reference to heat-shock protein 70 and humoral immunity.
abstract: The objective of this study was to clarify the participation of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) and the humoral immune system in antitumor immunity in esophageal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining for HSP 70, and CD4(+) T-, CD8(+) T-, B- and plasma cells was performed on surgical specimens obtained from 125 patients with esophageal cancer. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was then performed to measure serum anti-HSP70 antibodies in the azygos vein.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of HSP 70 correlated inversely with depth of invasion (p<0.0001), pathological stage (p<0.0001) and blood vessel invasion (p<0.001), and there was a positive correlation between HSP70 and CD4(+) T-, CD8(+) T-, B- and plasma cells. Of these, the B- and plasma cells had the strongest correlation to HSP70 expression. Serum anti-HSP70 antibody levels in the azygos vein correlated with HSP70 expression, and B and plasma cell infiltration. Patients positive for HSP70, and B- and plasma cell infiltration had good prognosis compared to other cases. According to multivariate analyses, simultaneous occurrence of HSP70 expression, and B- and plasma cell infiltration is a stronger prognostic factor than simultaneous occurrence of HSP70 expression, and CD4(+) T- and CD8(+) T-cell infiltration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is suggested that the HSP70-humoral immune cell system might play an important role in antitumor effects in patients with esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgical Science (Surgery I), Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan. mnakajim@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuchi
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukai
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sohda
authors.forename: Faried
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000917:Antibody Formation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins