HLA-ANTIGEN SHARING IN ITALIAN COUPLES IN WHICH WOMEN WERE AFFECTED BY GESTATIONAL TROPHOBLASTIC TUMORS

PROBLEM: The development of gestational trophoblastic tumors (GTT), in which genetic factors are strongly involved, is a rare event. To test the possibility that gene(s) linked to the Major histocompatibility C omplex (MHC) may have a role in both embryo growth and tumor developme nt, the HLA typing was performed on patients affected by GTT and on th eir partners. METHOD: The study group of sixteen couples, in which the women were affected by an invasive mole or choriocarcinoma, and the c ontrol group of thirty normal fertile couples without history of spont aneous abortion or GTT were typed for class I and class II HLA antigen . RESULTS: The results showed no differences in single HLA-A and B ant igen frequency between GIT couples and controls. In HLA-DR, locus an i ncreased frequency of DR-6 antigen was observed (p<0.05). No differenc es were observed in the frequency of number of antigens shared. When c onsidering the single locus no differences were found in the sharing o f the antigens of the A and B locus, while the frequency of antigenic sharing for DR locus was significantly higher in GTT couples with resp ect to controls (p<0.025). Furthermore a higher frequency of Bw35-DR5 antigenic combination was found in GTT partners than in controls (P<0. 02). CONCLUSIONS: These data represent a confirmation of the existence of a MHC linked gene(s) influencing the GTT development.