title: Expression of the nonclassical HLA class I and MICA/B molecules in human hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: HLA-G and HLA-E are nonclassical human MHC class I molecules, which promote tolerance to NK cytotoxicity. MICA and MICB are known to enhance the functions of NK and T cells. However, the expression of these molecules has never been investigated in liver cancer. Using RT-PCR and western blot, we aimed to identify the expression of HLA-G, HLA-E, MICA and MICB in a panel of 41 tissues dissecting from liver cancer patients in China. HLA-G mRNA was expressed in 8 of 41 Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) specimens and in 1 adjacent normal hepatocellular tissue. The expression of HLA-G protein was found in 7 of the 8 HLA-G mRNA-positive HCC tissues. HLA-E mRNA was up-regulated in 56% HCC specimens but the expression of HLA-E protein was only upregulated in 29% HCC tissues in comparison with their adjacent normal counterpart. MICA and MICB mRNA was decreased in 5% and 8% HCC specimens, while the expression of their proteins decreased in 21% and 24% HCC tissues. These results suggested that the expressions of HLA-G, HLA-E, MICA and MICB were differently up-regulated in HCC tissues. Furthermore, HLA-E and MICA/B genes showed obviously distinctive expression pattern at transcription and translation level.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Southeast University Medical School, Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. zhjq@seu.edu.cn
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Chen
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Shen
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Xia
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Xu
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Pan
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Yin
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Miao
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Shen
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Xie
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens; C099187:MHC class I-related chain A; C098080:MICB antigen