Study on association of HLA-DR antigen with esophageal carcinoma and Helicobacter pylori infection

  Objective   To investigate the relation between the HLA-DR expression and Helicobacter pylori infection in esophageal carcinoma.

  Methods   HLA-DR was examined in 40 patients with esophageal carcinoma and 30 normal control subjects by immunohistochemistry technique(ABC)and relation between HLA-DR expression and clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed. The status of H.pylori infection were determined by immunohistochemistry technique(S-P). All specimens were diagnosed through normal pathological process.

  Results   Positive rate of HLA-DR in esophageal carcinoma was 45.0%, which was significantly higher than 13.3% in normal controls(χ²=7.977, P < 0.05), the expression of HLA-DR in intraepithelial carcinoma was significantly higher than that in invasive carcinoma(χ²=6.078, P < 0.05). The infection rate of Hp in esophageal carcinoma was 95%, which was significantly higher than 20% in normal controls. No significant associations were found between patients with HLA-DR antigen and Hp infection with regard to patients' age at presentation, Sex, tumor site, lymph node metastases, histological grading of tumor.

  Conclusion   HLA-DR expression and Hp infection were associated with the incidence of esophageal carcinoma. The HLA-DR expression may prevent tumor invasion similarly to its role in intraepithelial carcinoma. The HLA-DR expression was not associated with the status of H.pylori infection.