Human leukocyte antigen-DR expression and transcription in oral squamous cell carcinomas / 华西口腔医学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The purpose of this study was to investigate the transcription and expression levels of human leukocyte antigen-DR at different stages of oral squamous cell carcinomas.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The specific monoclonal antibody and beta-locus specific oligonucleotide probes of human leukocyte antigen-DR were employed in this study. A total of 32 primary oral squamous cell carcinomas, 15 metastatic focuses and 26 histologically normal oral epithelia, were detected for the presence of the human leukocyte antigen-DR molecule by using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The human leukocyte antigen-DR expression of the primary focuses was significantly higher than that of the normal epithelia (P < 0.05), but their expression did not show statistically difference between the metastatic focuses and the normal epithelia. The immunohistochemistric results were identical with those of in situ hybridization.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The abnormal higher expression of the HLA-DR is a common character of primary oral squamous cell carcinomas, but it may be not relevant to the metastasis of tumors.</p>