Abstract:

Objective 　To investigate the expression level of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) human leucocyte antigen G (HLA-G) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods　 The HLA-G mRNA and HLA-G protein expression levels on PBMC from 38 patients with HCC,25 patients with liver cirrhosis and 40 healthy subjects were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow cytometry (FCM). Results　 The HLA-G mRNA expression rates in HCC group,cirrhosis group and healthy control group were 94.7%,84.0% and 87.5%, respectively,and there was no statistical significance (P=0.359). The HLA-G protein expression rate in HCC group was significantly higher than those in cirrhosis and healthy control groups with statistical significance (P=0.002). In HCC group, the HLA-G protein was mainly expressed on CD4⁺ cells. Conclusions　 The PBMC HLA-G protein expression rate in HCC patients increases,and its mechanism and clinical significance need to be further researched.

Key words: Human leucocyte antigen G, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Peripheral blood mononuclear cell