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Expression of β2‐microglobulin by premalignant epithelium
Author(s) -
PETERSEN BODIL LAUB,
PETERSEN CLAUS LETH,
BRÆNDSTRUP OTTO,
MOURITSEN SØREN,
ENGEL ANNE MARIE,
SVANE INGE MARIE,
WERDELIN OLE
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
apmis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0903-4641
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1993.tb00142.x
Subject(s) - beta 2 microglobulin , epithelium , immunoperoxidase , pathology , basement membrane , mhc class i , human leukocyte antigen , biology , cervix , carcinoma , immunohistochemistry , cancer research , cell , major histocompatibility complex , medicine , cancer , immunology , antigen , antibody , monoclonal antibody , genetics
Many human tumors express low amounts of HLA class I molecules relative to the normal cells from which they are derived. From experimental work it is clear that the malignant behavior of a tumor cell may depend on its MHC class I expression. Therefore, it is of obvious interest to study the HLA class I expression of human tumors in their various stages. We have studied the HLA class I expression by the cells in premalignant epithelial lesions and invasive carcinoma of the bladder and uterine cervix using immunoperoxidase staining for β2‐microglobulin of paraffin‐embedded tissue. We here assume that β2‐microglobulin expression by malignant and premalignant cells equals HLA class I expression. Thirty‐two of the 36 invasive tumors expressed less overall β2‐microglobulin than cells from the normal epithelium. In contrast, approximately two‐thirds of 34 premalignant bladder epithelia and 47 premalignant cervix epithelia displayed higher overall β2‐microglobulin expression than the normal epithelium. Thus, a systematic large‐scale elimination of HLA class I high‐expressing tumor cell variants may take place only after the tumor penetrates the basement membrane.