HLA-A*02 in relation to outcome in human papillomavirus positive tonsillar and base of tongue cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive tonsillar and base of tongue cancer have a better outcome than those with corresponding HPV-negative tumors (80% vs. 40% 5-year disease free survival with conventional radiotherapy). They should not all need chemoradiotherapy, but before tapering treatment, more markers are needed to predict treatment response. In the present study, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) - HLA-A*02 was analyzed with HPV as a prognostic factor for tonsillar and base of tongue cancer.


METHODS
Pre-treatment biopsies, previously tested for HPV DNA, from 425 patients diagnosed with tonsillar and base of tongue cancer between 2000-2009 at the Karolinska University Hospital were examined for HLA-A*02.


RESULTS
HLA-A*02 was present in 144/305 (47.2%) of the HPV-positive and 63/120 (52.8%) of the HPV-negative tumours. Among 383 patients treated with curative intent, absence of HLA-A*02 was correlated with increased disease-free survival in the HPV-positive (p=0.016), but not in the HPV-negative group.


CONCLUSIONS
Absence of HLA-A*02 correlated with better disease-free survival for patients with HPV-positive tonsillar and base of tongue cancer.
Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Cancer Center Karolinska, R8:01 Karolinska University Hospital, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. Tina.Dalianis@ki.se.
Nikolaos
N
Tertipis
Lisa
L
Villabona
Cecilia
C
Nordfors
Anders
A
Näsman
Torbjörn
T
Ramqvist
Andrea
A
Vlastos
Giuseppe
G
Masucci
Tina
T
Dalianis
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C524866:HLA-A*02 antigen; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen
HLA-A*02 genotype; base of tongue cancer; clinical outcome; human papillomavirus (HPV) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma; tonsillar cancer