Expression of HLA-G in patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL)

Folia Histochem Cytobiol. 2008;46(4):457-60. doi: 10.2478/v10042-008-0072-x.

Abstract

The expression of HLA-G was reported in certain malignancies and its role in escaping from immunosurveillance in cancers was proposed since HLA-G is a nonconventional HLA class I molecule that protects fetus from immunorecognition during pregnancy. Recent studies proposed HLA-G as novel prognostic marker for patients with B-CLL. HLA-G was showed to bear even better prognostic information compared to Zeta-chain associated protein of 70kDa (ZAP-70) and CD38 although some other authors did not find HLA-G expression in CLL. Therefore in this study we characterized the expression of HLA-G on both RNA and protein level. In most of 20 B-CLL patients we were able to detect signal from HLA-G using flow cytometry analysis. The expression of HLA-G was confirmed on messenger level by real-time RT-PCR experiments. No correlation between HLA-G expression and expression of well established prognostic factors such as ZAP-70 and CD38 was detected. These results confirm that HLA-G is expressed on CLL leukemic cells. Furthermore the expression of HLA-G on CLL cells suggests that this molecule might be involved in escaping of CLL cells from immunosurveillance.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic
  • HLA Antigens / genetics
  • HLA Antigens / metabolism*
  • HLA-G Antigens
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / genetics
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / genetics
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism

Substances

  • HLA Antigens
  • HLA-G Antigens
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
  • RNA, Messenger