[HL-A system antigen distribution in malignant neoplasm patients]

Area of Science:

• Immunogenetics
• Oncology
• Transplantation immunology

Background:

• Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) system plays a crucial role in immune responses and transplantation.
• Alterations in HLA antigen expression are observed in various diseases, including cancers.
• Previous studies suggest potential associations between HLA profiles and cancer susceptibility or progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the distribution of HLA antigens in patients with various cancers.
• To compare HLA antigen frequencies between cancer patients and a healthy control group.
• To identify potential differences in HLA profiles associated with specific cancer types.

Main Methods:

• Microlymphocyte cytotoxicity testing was employed to analyze HLA antigen distribution.
• A cohort of 124 cancer patients (stomach, breast, colon, lung, skeletal sarcoma) was studied.
• HLA antigen profiles of patients were compared with those of healthy individuals from Leningrad.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in the frequency of certain HLA antigens were observed between cancer patients and healthy controls.
• The HLA-B18 antigen was notably absent in the patient cohort.
• An 'incomplete set' of HLA antigens was found in 62% of patients, with locus B antigens missing in 7.3%.
• Additionally, 6.4% of patients exhibited 'extra' (one or more additional) HLA antigens.
• Adaptive immunotherapy demonstrated potential to alter the antigenic spectrum of lymphocytes in patients.

Conclusions:

• The study reveals distinct HLA antigen distribution patterns in cancer patients, differing from healthy populations.
• Specific HLA antigen absences and excesses may serve as potential biomarkers or indicators of immune dysregulation in cancer.
• Findings suggest that HLA profiling could inform the development of targeted immunotherapies, such as adaptive immunotherapy, for cancer treatment.