In cervical cancer, an important mechanism by which tumour cells escape immune surveillance is loss of HLA class I, enabling tumours to evade recognition and lysis by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Some tumours, however, escape from immune surveillance without accumulating defects in antigen presentation. We hypothesized that tumours with no or partial loss of HLA class I develop alternative mechanisms to prevent immune elimination. To investigate this hypothesis, genome-wide expression profiling using Illumina arrays was performed on cervical squamous cell carcinomas showing overall loss of HLA class I, partial, and normal HLA class I protein expression. Statistical analyses revealed no significant differences in gene expression between tumours with partial (n = 11) and normal HLA class I expression (n = 10). Comparison of tumours with normal/partial HLA class I expression (n = 21) with those with overall loss of HLA class I expression (n = 11) identified 150 differentially expressed genes. Most of these genes were involved in the defence response (n = 27) and, in particular, inflammatory and acute phase responses. Especially SerpinA1 and SerpinA3 were found to be up-regulated in HLA-positive tumours (3.6- and 8.2-fold, respectively), and this was confirmed by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. In a group of 117 tumours, high SerpinA1 and SerpinA3 expression in association with normal/partial HLA expression correlated significantly with poor overall survival (p = 0.035 and p = 0.05, respectively). Thus, HLA-positive tumours are characterized by higher expression of genes associated with an inflammatory profile. In addition, expression of the acute phase proteins SerpinA1 and SerpinA3 in HLA-positive tumours is associated with worse prognosis.
Copyright (c) 2008 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.