HLA ANTIGENS ARE CANDIDATE MARKERS FOR PREDICTION OF LYMPH-NODE METASTASIS IN GASTRIC-CANCER

We investigated the association between human leucocyte antigen (HLA) antigens and lymph node metastasis in 724 gastric cancer patients, Amo ng patients who had poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with or witho ut HLA-DR4 antigen, lymph node metastasis was detected in 80.8 and 54. 9%, respectively (relative risk (RR) = 35, P = 0.0005, corrected P = 0 .0285), It was more common in patients with a family history of cancer death (RR = 7.7), Among signet ring cell carcinoma patients with or w ithout HLA-B52 antigen, lymph node metastasis was detected in 57.7 and 19.7%, respectively (RR = 5.6, P = 0.0001, corrected P = 0.0086), It was more common in patients who were smokers (RR = 8.3), Our findings suggest that HLA-DR4 and HLA-B52 antigens are associated with lymph no de metastasis in gastric cancer.