Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  2004 Nov;47(11):2194-2203.

Analysis of Human Leukocyte Antigen-G Expression in Ovarian Cancer

• Kim HJ
• Hur SY
• Kim MJ
• Kim SJ
• Kim EJ
• Lee WS
• Park SH
• Lee HJ
• Kim J
• Park JS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is a nonclassical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule with highly limited tissue distribution that has been proposed to protect tumor cells from natural killer cell lysis. To delineate the potential role of HLA-G in ovarian cancer, we investigated expression patterns of this molecule in human ovarian cancer cell lines and tissues.
METHODS
HLA-G expression was determined both at RNA level by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and protein level by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibody against denatured heavy chain of HLA-G, MEM-G1, in 13 ovarian cancer patient tissues and 6 ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR-3, SKOV-3, ES-2, PA-1, TOV-112D, TOV-21G).
RESULTS
We found mRNA transcripts of different HLA-G isoforms in five of 6 ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR-3, SKOV-3, ES-2, TOV-112D, TOV-21G). HLA-G protein was also detected in 5 cell lines that exhibited expression of HLA-G mRNA transcripts. Immunohistochemical analysis of human ovarian cancers revealed expression of HLA-G in eight of 13 tissue samples.
CONCLUSION
Our results provide additional clues as to how a tumor can be selected in vitro and in vivo to escape from cytotoxic anti-tumor responses. We suggest that the aberrant expression of HLA-G may contribute to immune escape in human ovarian cancer.

Keyword

HLA-G; Ovarian cancer; Immune escape

MeSH Terms

Blotting, Western
Cell Line
HLA-G Antigens
Humans*
Immunohistochemistry
Killer Cells, Natural
Leukocytes*
Major Histocompatibility Complex
Ovarian Neoplasms*
Protein Isoforms
RNA
RNA, Messenger
Tissue Distribution
United Nations
HLA-G Antigens
Protein Isoforms
RNA
RNA, Messenger