Tumor Immune Systems in Esophageal Cancer with Special Reference to Heat-shock Protein 70 and Humoral Immunity

• Published in: Anticancer research Vol. 29; no. 5; pp. 1595 - 1606
• Main Authors: NAKAJIMA, Masanobu, KATO, Hiroyuki, MIYAZAKI, Tatsuya, FUKUCHI, Minoru, MASUDA, Norihiro, FUKAI, Yasuyuki, SOHDA, Makoto, AHMAD, Faried, KUWANO, Hiroyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Attiki International Institute of Anticancer Research 01-05-2009
• Subjects: Aged; Antibody Formation; Biological and medical sciences; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Esophageal Neoplasms - immunology; Esophageal Neoplasms - pathology; Esophagus; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins - immunology; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating - immunology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Tumors; Immunohistochemistry; esophageal cancer; Antibody; Esophageal tumor; Esophageal disease; Malignant tumor; Enzyme immunoassay; Anti-heat-shock protein 70 antibody; heat-shock protein 70; Esophagus cancer; Anatomic pathology; Cancerology; humoral immune system; Heat shock protein; Digestive diseases; Heat shock protein 70; ELISA assay; Humoral immunity; Cancer; Immune system; ELISA
• ISSN: 0250-7005; 1791-7530

The objective of this study was to clarify the participation of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) and the humoral immune system
in antitumor immunity in esophageal cancer. Patients and Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for HSP 70, and CD4 + T-, CD8 + T-, B- and plasma cells was performed on surgical specimens obtained from 125 patients with esophageal cancer. An enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was then performed to measure serum anti-HSP70 antibodies in the azygos vein. Results: The expression
of HSP 70 correlated inversely with depth of invasion (p<0.0001), pathological stage (p<0.0001) and blood vessel invasion
(p<0.001), and there was a positive correlation between HSP70 and CD4 + T-, CD8 + T-, B- and plasma cells. Of these, the B- and plasma cells had the strongest correlation to HSP70 expression. Serum anti-HSP70
antibody levels in the azygos vein correlated with HSP70 expression, and B and plasma cell infiltration. Patients positive
for HSP70, and B- and plasma cell infiltration had good prognosis compared to other cases. According to multivariate analyses,
simultaneous occurrence of HSP70 expression, and B- and plasma cell infiltration is a stronger prognostic factor than simultaneous
occurrence of HSP70 expression, and CD4 + T- and CD8 + T-cell infiltration. Conclusion: It is suggested that the HSP70-humoral immune cell system might play an important role in
antitumor effects in patients with esophageal cancer.