Abstract
To assess whether human leukocyte antigen class I and class II alleles confer susceptibility to uveal melanoma or are related to specific clinical or tumor characteristics and survival. Between 1990 and 2004, 235 consecutive Dutch patients with diagnoses of primary uveal melanoma were typed for HLA class I and II, either by complement-dependent cytotoxicity test or by DNA-based technique. Allele frequencies were compared with those of a control group that consisted of 2440 healthy Dutch blood donors. In addition, allele frequencies of 138 patients with uveal melanoma, who underwent enucleation as primary treatment, were compared for tumor characteristics and survival. With regard to tumor characteristics, correlations between HLA-DR13 and tumor size, HLA-B35 and spindle cell type, and HLA-B60 and ciliary body involvement were observed before correction for the number of alleles tested. Correlation was found between the presence of HLA-B44 and decreased survival. We did not find any allele that correlated with susceptibility to uveal melanoma after correction for the number of comparisons between patients and controls. This study shows that HLA class I and II antigens do not contribute to an increased genetic susceptibility to uveal melanoma. This does not exclude an important role for HLA antigens in immune surveillance against uveal melanoma and their metastases.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.