Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2025
Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
Published on: November 2, 2013
Association of HLA-A*11:01, -A*24:02, and -B*18:01 with Prostate Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study
Maria Antonietta Manca1, Elena Rita Simula1, Davide Cossu1
1Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
Insights
Certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles, specifically A*11:01, A*24:02, and B*18:01, appear to offer protection against prostate cancer (PCa). This genetic diversity study found lower prevalence of these alleles in PCa patients compared to healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Immunogenetics
- Oncology
Background:
- The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is crucial for immune response and antigen presentation.
- Prostate cancer (PCa) involves significant alterations in MHC expression, impacting anti-tumor immunity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic diversity of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-A and HLA-B alleles in prostate cancer patients and healthy controls.
- To determine if specific HLA alleles are associated with prostate cancer risk.
Main Methods:
- Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genotyping was performed using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology.
- Prevalence of HLA-A and HLA-B alleles was compared between prostate cancer patients and healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the prevalence of HLA-A*11:01, HLA-A*24:02, and HLA-B*18:01 alleles.
- These three alleles were found at lower frequencies in prostate cancer patients (5.21%, 9.38%, 18.08% respectively) compared to healthy controls (14.89%, 20.21%, 30.61% respectively).
- Odds ratio calculations indicated a negative association (OR < 1) between these alleles and prostate cancer risk.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests a potential protective role for HLA-A*11:01, HLA-A*24:02, and HLA-B*18:01 against the development of prostate cancer.
- These findings highlight the importance of HLA genetic diversity in prostate cancer susceptibility.
Abstract:
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci, the most polymorphic regions within the human genome, encode protein complexes responsible for antigen presentation and CD4+ and CD8+ cell activation. In prostate cancer (PCa), the second most diagnosed cancer in the male population, MHC loci undergo significant changes in their expression patterns, which affect the ability of the immune system to attack and eliminate malignant cells. The purpose of this study was to explore the genetic diversity of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A and HLA-B in patients with PCa and healthy controls (HCs) by performing HLA genotyping using NGS technology. The analysis highlighted statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the prevalence of three alleles (A*11:01, A*24:02, and B*18:01). Among the HCs analyzed, 14.89% had A*11:01, 20.21% had A*24:02, and 30.61% had B*18:01; while 5.21% of patients with PCa presented A*11:01, 9.38% presented A*24:02, 18.08% presented B*18:01. Odds ratio (OR) calculations underlined a negative association between the three alleles and the risk of PCa (OR < 1). The results presented in this study suggest a protective role of A*11:01, A*24:02, and B*18:01 in PCa.
