@article{Mai Takeuchi_Hiroaki Miyoshi_Naoko Asano_Noriaki Yoshida_Kyohei Yamada_Eriko Yanagida_Mayuko Moritsubo_Michiko Nakata_Takeshi Umeno_Takaharu Suzuki_Satoru Komaki_Hiroko Muta_Takuya Furuta_Masao Seto_Koichi Ohshima_2019, place={Pavia, Italy}, title={Human leukocyte antigen class II expression is a good prognostic factor in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma}, volume={104}, url={https://haematologica.org/article/view/9011}, DOI={10.3324/haematol.2018.205567}, abstractNote={Attenuated human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I expression is implicated as a major immune escape mechanism in several types of tumor. We previously reported that HLA class I/β2 microglobulin and programmed death ligand-1 expression are prognostic factors in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. A recent report suggested that HLA class II expression is also an important prognostic factor for the clinical outcome of programmed death-1 blockade therapy in recurrent/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. This prompted us to evaluate HLA class II expression in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and to compare the findings with the patients’ clinicopathological features. Of the 132 biopsy specimens examined from newly diagnosed patients, lymphoma cells were positive for HLA class II expression in 44 patients (33.3%), whereas programmed death ligand-1 expression was observed on neoplastic cells from nine patients (6.9%) and on stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment in 83 cases (62.9%). HLA class II-positive cases showed a significantly better overall survival compared to the HLA class II-negative cases (<em>P</em><0.0001). Patients positive for HLA class II and programmed death ligand-1 microenvironmental expression had significantly better prognosis than the other groups (<em>P</em><0.0001). HLA class II-positive and HLA class II-negative groups also showed a significant difference in complete remission rate (<em>P</em>=0.0421), HLA class I/β2 microglobulin expression (<em>P</em>=0.0165), and the number of programmed death-1-positive tumor infiltrating cells (<em>P</em>=0.0020). HLA class II expression was a prognostic factor for overall survival both in univariate and multivariate analyses (<em>P</em><0.0001 and <em>P</em&gt;=0.0007, respectively). Our study reveals that HLA class II is a novel prognostic factor in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.}, number={8}, journal={Haematologica}, author={Mai Takeuchi and Hiroaki Miyoshi and Naoko Asano and Noriaki Yoshida and Kyohei Yamada and Eriko Yanagida and Mayuko Moritsubo and Michiko Nakata and Takeshi Umeno and Takaharu Suzuki and Satoru Komaki and Hiroko Muta and Takuya Furuta and Masao Seto and Koichi Ohshima}, year={2019}, month={Jul.}, pages={1626-1632} }