title: Prognostic significance of HLA class I expressing in gastric carcinoma defined by monoclonal anti-pan HLA class I antibody, EMR8-5.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Downregulation or loss of HLA class I molecules has been demonstrated in human cancers. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical significance of HLA class I expression in gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gastric cancer tissues from 189 patients were examined for expression of HLA class I heavy chain antigens by immunohistochemical staining with EMR8-5. The expression level of HLA class I of tumor cells is categorized by combining an estimate the percentage of immunoreactive cell with an estimate of the staining intensity. The relationship between HLA class I expression and clinicopathologic parameters, patient survival, and tumor recurrence were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HLA class I was downregulated in 85 (45.0%) of the gastric carcinomas. Staining revealed 104 (55.0%) tumors with strongly positive expression of HLA class I antigens, 76 (40.2%) tumors with weakly positive expression, and 9 (4.8%) tumors with negative expression. The expression of HLA class I antigen did not correlate with any other clinicopathologic parameters. Moreover, HLA class I expression was neither a risk factor for tumor recurrence nor survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The downregulation of HLA class I expression is not associated with patient prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-719, South Korea. leehw@hallym.or.kr
authors.forename: Hae-Wan
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soo Kee
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Young-Su
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Joohon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Man Sup
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Dae Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bong Hwa
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012008:Recurrence; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I