HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN-70 AND HLA-DR MOLECULES TISSUE EXPRESSION - PROGNOSTIC IMPLICATIONS IN COLORECTAL-CANCER

PURPOSE: The expression of 70,000-Da heat shock protein (HSP 70) and H LA-DR molecules on cancer cells influences immunologic mechanisms that may be of some prognostic significance. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among immunohistochemical HSP 70, HLA-DR expression, and clinicopathologic tumor variables, as well as patient survival in a series of 128 colorectal carcinomas. METHOD: A three-ste p immunoperoxidase staining technique was undertaken for detection of both markers. RESULTS: Of the examined carcinomas 77.3 percent were HS P 70-positive and 74.2 percent were HLA-DR-positive. Increased HSP 70- positive expression correlated significantly with low differentiation (P < 0.05), showed a tendency to characterize advanced stages of disea se, and was clearly associated with worse overall survival (P < 0.05). The highest rate of HLA-DR positivity was demonstrated in early stage s and was significantly associated with more favorable prognosis (P < 0.001). HSP 70-positive/HLA-DR-negative patients had worse overall sur vival compared with the rest (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The resulting o pposite effects on prognosis of examined markers seem to be related to different pathophysiologic functional roles on tumor immunology.