HLA Class I and Class II Antigen Expression on Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
• We compared human major histocompatibility (HLA) class I and class II antigen expression on squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck with that on normal mucosa. Frozen sections of a consecutive series of 30 squamous cell carcinomas were stained with the monoclonal antibodies W6/32 (class I) and anti-DR (class II) using an immunoperoxidase technique. Normal mucosa showed class I and class II expression in the basal layers only. Class I expression on tumors was diffuse in 87%, patchy in 10%, and scattered in 3%. Class II expression on tumors was diffuse in 20%, patchy in 53%, scattered in 20%, and absent in 7%. Patterns of expression did not correlate significantly with clinical parameters, including survival, except that class II diffuse and patchy patterns were found to correlate with more poorly differentiated tumors. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1990;116:1181-1185)