Ovarian Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ovarian Cancer, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, information.

HLA-class II haplotype associations with ovarian cancer.

Kübler K, Arndt PF, Wardelmann E, Krebs D, Kuhn W, van der Ven K

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.

The development of cancer is a multistep process that is characterized by the accumulation of genetic alterations in cells and changed cellular interactions with the surrounding healthy tissues. The human immune system is believed to be intrinsically involved in this process. The correlation of certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-class I and II haplotypes with tumorigenesis is documented in a variety of tumors. However, few data exist on the possible association of specific HLA-class II alleles or haplotypes with ovarian cancer. In our sample of 52 Caucasian patients with primary ovarian carcinoma and 239 female healthy local controls, we observed a significantly increased incidence of the HLA-class II haplotypes DRB1*0301 - DQA1*0501 - DQB1*0201 (p < 0.001) and DRB1*1001 - DQA1*0101 - DQB1*0501 (p < 0.001) in the patients. Our data suggest that HLA-class II loci or individual HLA-class II haplotypes may be involved in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer.

Published 1 November 2006 in Int J Cancer, 119(12): 2980-5.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Ovarian Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.