Characterisation of breast cancer infiltrates using monoclonal antibodies to human leucocyte antigens

Abstract

Summary Serial frozen sections from eleven patients with malignant breast tumours and five patients with benign disease were studied by indirect immunoperoxidase using a panel of mouse monoclonal antibodies to human leucocyte antigens. More infiltrating leucocytes were seen in tumour sections than those of benign conditions. A considerable proportion of the infiltrating cells were T cells, and more of these were of the suppressor/cytotoxic subset than the helper/inducer subset. The T cells were apparently not all activated as indicated by lower levels of staining with anti HLA-DR than anti-leucocyte antibody. Diffuse staining was sometimes seen with HLA-DR and T cell subset antibodies. Tumour cells did not stain or were only very weakly positive with anti HLA-A, B, C.

Lacking prognostic significance of β2-microglobulin, MHC class I and class II antigen expression in breast carcinomas

“…Again, the number of positive axillary lymph nodes (P<0.05) and the hormone receptor status (P <0.05) were of importance, together with the pT-stage, only in the stepwise-up regression (P<0.01). The high expression of HLA-A,B,C and P2m and a lower expression of HLA-DR in benign lesions are in concordance with the results of other studies (Weiss et al, 1981;Bhan & DesMarais, 1983;Rowe & Beverley, 1984;Sidky & Walker, 1984;Whitwell et al, 1984;Zuk & Walker, 1987) and correspond to the demonstration of these antigens in normal human breast tissue (Daar et al, 1984a(Daar et al, , 1984bNatali et al, 1983). Likewise, the reduction in expression of MHC antigens and P2m in malignant breast tumours has been already described by other authors (Fleming et al, 1981;Natali et al, 1981Natali et al, , 1983Natali et al, , 1984Bhan & DesMarais, 1983;Rowe & Beverley, 1984;Sawtell et al, 1984;Sidky & Walker, 1984;Whitwell et al, 1984;Gottlinger et al, 1985;Hurlimann & Saraga, 1985;Perez et al, 1986;Zuk & Walker, 1987), however the positivity rates of the carcinomas in these studies vary considerably.…”

“…MHC antigens have repeatedly been demonstrated in human breast tumours (Fleming et al, 1981;Natali et al, 1981Natali et al, , 1983Natali et al, , 1984Natali et al, , 1986Weiss et al, 1981;Bhan & DesMarais, 1983;Rowe & Beverley, 1984;Sawtell et al, 1984;Sidky & Walker, 1984;Whitwell et al, 1984;Gottlinger et al, 1985;Hurlimann & Saraga, 1985;Perez et al, 1986;Zuk & Walker, 1987;Muller & Stutte, 1988). Sawtell et al (1984) found a correlation between the histological, not cytological, tumour differentiation and the expression of P2m and MHC class I antigens.…”

A Murine Model of Polymyositis Induced by Coxsackievirus B1 (Tucson Strain)

“…It is also possible that T cell-dependent antiviral antibodies react with these antigens via complement or nonimmune cell cytotoxic mechanisms, resulting in myocyte injury. In humans, recent studies by Rowe et a1 also have implicated T cells in the pathogenesis of I'M by demonstrating large numbers of T cells, probably bearing the HLA-DR antigen, in the inflammatory infiltrates of muscle (16).…”

Skeletal Muscle Fibers Express Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II Antigens Independently of Inflammatory Infiltrates in Inflammatory Myopathies

“…6,7,11,20,21,31 Considering the potentially important role that MHC class II antigens may have in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, such as myositis, it should be essential to determine to which extent these previous divergent results are because of methodological differences or may also be explained by different patient groups analyzed.…”