Open AccessHuman leukocyte antigen class I down‐regulation in muscle‐invasive bladder cancer: Its association with clinical characteristics and survival after cystectomy
Author(s) -
Homma Ichiya,
Kitamura Hiroshi,
Torigoe Toshihiko,
Tanaka Toshiaki,
Sato Eiji,
Hirohashi Yoshihiko,
Masumori Naoya,
Sato Noriyuki,
Tsukamoto Taiji
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2009.01329.x
Subject(s) - cystectomy , bladder cancer , immunohistochemistry , medicine , human leukocyte antigen , oncology , monoclonal antibody , clinical significance , cancer , lymph node , pathology , antigen , antibody , immunology
Using a novel monoclonal anti‐pan human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I heavy chain antibody (EMR 8‐5) reacting with paraffin‐embedded sections, we examined the prognostic significance of HLA class I molecules in muscle‐invasive bladder cancer patients who underwent radical cystectomy. Immunohistochemical staining for HLA class I molecules with monoclonal antibody EMR 8‐5 was performed on specimens from 65 clinically muscle‐invasive bladder cancer patients who underwent radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection without neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We analyzed the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of HLA class I expression. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed HLA class I down‐regulation in 22 (33.8%) invasive bladder cancers. This down‐regulation had no correlation with clinicopathological parameters such as pathologic stage, nodal status, and grade. The recurrence‐free survival of patients with HLA class I–positive tumors was significantly better than that of those with down‐regulation (log rank, P = 0.0337). Multivariate analysis revealed that HLA class I expression was a significant factor influencing the recurrence‐free survival of bladder cancer patients after cystectomy ( P = 0.0155). Our data demonstrate that HLA class I down‐regulation in tumor cells was clearly observed in about one‐third of the patients. HLA class I expression could be a prognostic marker for muscle‐invasive bladder cancer patients after cystectomy. ( Cancer Sci 2009; 100: 2331–2334)