Tumor immune systems in esophageal cancer with special reference to heat-shock protein 70 and humoral immunity.
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.
Nakajima
Masanobu
M
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
Kato
Hiroyuki
H
Miyazaki
Tatsuya
T
Fukuchi
Minoru
M
Masuda
Norihiro
N
Fukai
Yasuyuki
Y
Sohda
Makoto
M
Ahmad
Faried
F
Kuwano
Hiroyuki
H
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
D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins