HLA and Cancer Component
International Histocompatibility Working Group (IHWG)
Dear Colleagues,
During the 15th European Histocompatibility Conference which was held in Granada, Spain from March 27th to March 31st 2001 a meeting was held to discuss the progress in the work related to the HLA and Cancer Component of the 13th International Histocompatibility Workshop. The aims of the workshop were reviewed. As stated in the grant application funded by NIH, the workshop has essentially two aims.
1) analysis of the expression of HLA class I antigens in malignant lesions by staining formalin-fixed tissue sections with mAb HC-10 and HA-A2 to determinants expressed on ß2µ free HLA class I heavy chains and with anti-ß2µ mAb L368. The results of the immunohistochemical staining are correlated with the histopathological characteristics of the lesions and with the clinical course of the disease.
2) assessment of the frequency of the selective loss of HLA-A2 antigens in malignant lesions by staining frozen tissue sections with anti-HLA-A2, A28 mAb KS1 and mAb CRII-351. The lesions are also tested with anti-HLA class I mAb TP25.99 which recognizes a determinant expressed on HLA-A, B, C and E antigens, but not on HLA-G antigens, with the anti-ß2m mAb NAMB-1 and with the anti-HLA-A mAb LGIII-147.4.1 which recognizes a determinant expressed on HLA-A allospecificities. The results are correlated with the histopathological characteristics of the lesions and with the clinical course of the disease.
In view of the growing interest in the expression of HLA class II antigens in malignant lesions, formalin-fixed tissues will also be tested for the expression of HLA class II antigens by staining with the anti-HLA class II mAb LGII-612.14. the results of the expression of HLA class II antigens will be correlated with those of the expression of HLA class I antigens, with the histopathological characteristics of the lesions and with the clinical course of the disease.
It was agreed that the distribution of the available monoclonal antibodies should be started. Whoever has an interest in obtaining these monoclonal antibodies for participating in the workshop should send a request to Soldano Ferrone.
- Soldano Ferrone
Department of Immunology
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Elm and Carlton Streets
Buffalo, NY 14263 - USA
soldano.ferrone@roswellpark.org
(716) 845-7613 - FAX
The request should contain information about the type of malignancy which will be investigated, the number of lesions which will be tested, the method which will be used and a statement that the results will be provided for the analysis for the workshop.
It was also agreed that forms will be prepared to collect the results to be analyzed by Hongzhe Li. The following investigators have agreed to prepare a list of histopathological and clinical parameters to be utilized in the analysis of the immunohistochemical results.
| Malignancy | Investigator |
| Brain tumors | R. Nano |
| Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma | M. Tilanus |
| Breast carcinoma | G. B. Ferrara |
| Laryngeal carcinoma | T. Cabrera |
| Colon carcinoma | T. Cabrera |
| Bladder carcinoma | T. Cabrera |
| Prostate carcinoma | M. Worsham |
| Leukemia | C. Demanet |
| Melanoma | S. Ferrone |
As soon as this information becomes available it will be posted on the website.
Arend Mulder from the University of Leiden, Leiden, Holland has offered to provide some human monoclonal antibodies to HLA class I allospecificities. These antibodies will be evaluated by Federico Garrido in immunohistochemical reactions. If they work, they will be made available for the workshop.
At the meeting Federico Garrido pointed out that loss of heterozygosity (LOH) represents one of the most frequent mechanisms underlying abnormalities in HLA class I antigen expression by malignant cells. Therefore, it was decided to include also this study in the analysis of malignant lesions. Those who are interested are referred to the paper by Ramal et al in Tissue Antigens 55:443,2000 and to the paper by Maleno et al in the IHWG Technical Manual - "Genomic Analysis of the Human MHC 2000" for the methodology to be used. Questions related to the methodology should be addressed to Federico Garrido (fgarrido@goliat.ugr.es), Marcel Tilanus (m.tilanus@azu.nl) and/or Maria Worsham (mworsha1@hfhs.org).
