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1 From the Departments of Ophthalmology and 3 Immunohaematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands; and the 2 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| Abstract |
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METHODS. Eleven human uveal melanoma cell lines were analyzed for the expression of HLA-G by flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, Western blot analysis, and RT-PCR followed by Southern blot analysis. Two HLA-Gspecific monoclonal antibodies were used, 87G and MEM-G/1. In addition, HLA-G expression was determined on frozen tissue sections of 17 primary uveal melanomas.
RESULTS. With all HLA-G detection methods, no evidence for HLA-G expression by
uveal melanoma cells was found. In contrast, the trophoblast cell line
JEG-3 clearly expressed HLA-G transcripts and protein in all cases.
Furthermore, interferon-
did not induce HLA-G expression in the
uveal melanoma cell lines. Notably, all cell lines expressed HLA-E, and
this expression was significantly enhanced by interferon-
.
CONCLUSIONS. Because none of the uveal melanoma cell lines nor any of the primary uveal melanomas displayed expression of HLA-G, it is unlikely that HLA-G plays a role, direct or indirect, in the modulation of cellular immunity against uveal melanoma tumors.
| Introduction |
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Uveal melanoma is the most common primary malignant intraocular tumor in adults, and carries a high mortality rate, due to liver metastases. Concerning the expression of HLA, uveal melanoma substantially differs from other tumor types: global HLA class I downregulation is rare9 and a high expression of HLA-A and HLA-B on the primary tumor is correlated with a worse patient survival.10 There is evidence that metastatic tumor cells that leave the eye and enter the bloodstream to settle down in the liver display increased HLA class I expression.11 12 These data suggest that NK cells may play a protective role in the development of metastatic disease by killing tumor cells with low HLA class I expression. Murine studies support this hypothesis.13
As for the expression of HLA-G and -E in uveal melanoma, no data are yet published. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate whether HLA-G could play a role in immunosurveillance of uveal melanoma. To firmly establish the presence of HLA-G in uveal melanoma cells, we used several detection methods and analyzed uveal melanoma cell lines and tissue sections of primary uveal melanomas. Because HLA-G can function through HLA-E, the tumor cell lines were also tested for HLA-E expression.
| Materials and Methods |
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Frozen sections were obtained from 17 primary uveal melanomas. The research protocol followed the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. Two tumors were in the ciliary body, and the other tumors were in the choroid. Five tumors consisted of only spindle cells, whereas in the other tumors, both spindle and epithelial cells were present. Tumor diameter and prominence varied from 6 to 24 mm (mean, 11.9 mm) and from 2 to 10 mm (mean, 6.0 mm), respectively.
HLA-G Antibodies
In our study, we used the 87G antibody, kindly provided by
Myriam Onno, (University of Rennes, France). This murine IgG2a antibody
recognizes membrane-bound and soluble HLA-G molecules and showed no
apparent cross-reactivity with other class I molecules when tested on
diverse HLA class Itransfected cells.15
In addition, we used the new murine HLA-Gspecific antibody MEM-G/1, raised against denatured recombinant HLA-G protein. Western blot analyses were performed to test the specificity of this MEM-G/1 antibody. Several recombinant human proteins including HLA-A2, -B8, -Cw3, -Cw4, -Cw6, -Cw7, -E, and -G were subjected to electrophoresis and subsequent Western blot analysis. The MEM-G/1 antibody detected exclusively recombinant human HLA-G protein. In addition, we tested cell lysate of MHC class-Inegative 721.221 cell lines transfected to express each of these MHC class-I molecules individually. Immunoreactivity was found exclusively in case of HLA-Gtransfected 721.221 cells.
Flow Cytometry
Single-cell suspensions of 11 human uveal melanoma cell lines
were subjected to flow cytometry. Cells were first incubated with the
HLA-Gspecific 87G antibody (diluted 1:50 in 1% PBS-BSA) or with the
W6/32 antibody (1:40) for monomorphic HLA class I staining. After
washing, cells were incubated with FITC-conjugated rabbit anti-mouse
immunoglobulin (1:50; Dako, Glostrup, Denmark). Both incubations were
performed for 1 hour on ice. Measurements and subsequent evaluation of
the data were performed using a flow cytometer (FACScan; BD
Biosciences, Mountain View, CA). The JEG-3 trophoblast cell line was
used as a positive control.
Western Blot Analysis
For protein extraction of the uveal melanoma lines, cells were
freshly harvested from culture, washed with PBS, and lysed for 30
minutes on ice, using 20 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.4) 50 mM NaCl, and 1%
Nonidet-P40, with 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 10 mg/ml
leupeptin (Roche Molecular Biochemicals, Indianapolis, IN) and 100 U/ml
aprotinin (Calbiochem, La Jolla, CA). Debris was removed by
centrifugation at 13,000g for 10 minutes at 4°C. Protein
concentrations were determined using a detergent-compatible protein
assay (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA). Soluble protein (10 µg) was separated
by electrophoresis on 15% polyacrylamide gels containing SDS and
blotted onto nitrocellulose. After blocking (SuperBlock solution;
Pierce, Rockford, IL) for 2 hours at room temperature (RT), the filters
were incubated with HLA-Gspecific MEM-G/1 antibody for 1 hour at RT,
washed, and incubated with horseradish peroxidaseconjugated secondary
goat anti-mouse antibody for 45 minutes at RT. The membranes were then
washed again and incubated with substrate (SuperSignal; Pierce) for 10
minutes at RT in the dark. Then films (Biomax Light; Eastman Kodak,
Rochester, NY) were exposed to the filters for up to 5 minutes at RT
and subjected to automated development. The JEG-3 trophoblast cell line
and HLA-Gtransfected 721.221 cells were used as a positive control.
RT-PCR and Southern Blot Analysis
Total RNA was isolated from 11 subconfluent uveal melanoma cell
cultures using an RNA extraction method (RNAzol; Cinna/Biotecx
Laboratories, Houston, TX). RNA samples (5 µg) were transcribed into
cDNA using avian myoblastosis virus (AMV) reverse transcriptase
(Promega, Madison, WI). The cDNA was subjected to a semiquantitative
PCR using the following HLA-G1specific oligonucleotide primers:
forward primer 5'-AGACGCCAAGGATGGTGGTCA-3' and reverse primer
5'-AGGAAAGGTGATTGGGGAAGG-3'. PCR amplifications (2 µl cDNA in a total
reaction volume of 100 µl) were run at 94° for 1 minute, at 60°
for 1 minute and at 72° for 1 minute for 35 cycles. The amplification
of reduced glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH)
was performed in the same manner to check RNA quality. The JEG-3
trophoblast cell line was used as a positive control. Similarly, HLA-E
mRNA levels were determined, using the forward 5'-TCCGAGCAAAAGTCAAAT-3'
and the reverse 5'-AGATCCAAGGAGAACCAG-3' primers.
PCR amplification products were separated by electrophoresis on a 2% agarose gel and then, in the case of HLA-G, additionally blotted onto a membrane (Hybond N+; Amersham, Aylesbury, UK). The blot was hybridized with a 32P-labeled HLA-G probe and analyzed by phosphorescent imaging (PhosphorImager, Molecular Dynamics, Sunnyvale, CA).
Immunocytochemistry and Histochemistry
Frozen sections of 17 primary uveal melanomas and cytospin
preparations of 11 uveal melanoma cell lines (fixed in acetone at 4°C
for 10 minutes) were washed in PBS and incubated for 1 hour with the
HLA-Gspecific antibodies 87G or MEM-G/1, or with 1% BSA-PBS as a
negative control. After washing, the slides were then incubated with
biotinylated anti-mouse immunoglobulins (LSAB-2 kit; Dako) for 30
minutes, washed again and incubated with horseradish
peroxidaseconjugated streptavidin (LSAB-2 kit) for 30 minutes. The
peroxidase reaction was developed using 5% 3-amino-9-ethyl-carbazole
(Sigma, Diesenhofen, Germany ) in 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer (pH 5)
containing 0.05% H2O2. The
sections were counterstained with Mayers hematoxylin and finally
embedded in Kaisers glycerin. Cytospins of JEG-3 cells were used as a
positive control.
| Results |
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(200 U/ml, 48
hours) did not result in the induction of HLA-G mRNA in the uveal
melanoma cell lines (Fig. 2) . To increase the sensitivity, a Southern blot analysis was performed
with the PCR products. With the exception of the control JEG-3 cell
line, no HLA-G was detected. Notably, HLA-E expression was increased
after IFN
treatment in all cell lines investigated (Fig. 2)
.
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| Discussion |
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In cutaneous melanoma, Cabestre et al.17 and Paul et al.18 19 have provided data that support HLA-G expression in cells lines and primary tumors of cutaneous melanoma.17 18 19 Similar studies by other investigators, however, did not find evidence for HLA-G expression by skin melanoma cells, either at the transcription level or at the protein level.20 21 22 Studies of expression of HLA-G by different tumor types report heterogeneous results, ranging from the presence of HLA-G mRNA transcripts in the majority of tumors to a complete absence of HLA-G transcription in all tumors analyzed.20 21 23 HLA-G protein expression, however, is only rarely found.18 20 21 23 From this standpoint, it is not surprising that we did not find HLA-G protein expression in our present study, but the absence of HLA-G transcription may imply a new difference in HLA expression characteristics between uveal and cutaneous melanoma.
In general, tumor cells have all kinds of strategies to escape immunosurveillance, such as downregulation of HLA class I expression, generation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment, and possibly the expression of HLA-G. In contrast to most other tumor types, uveal melanomas arise in an immune-privileged site. Therefore, their adjustments to survive may be quite different from that of other tumors. In uveal melanoma, a complete downregulation of HLA class I or transporters associated with antigen processing (TAP) is rare.9 24 Because surface expression of HLA-E is dependent on an adequate level of HLA class I expression and an intact TAP mechanism,25 uveal melanoma cells have the capacity to express HLA-E on the cell surface. This is supported in our present study in which we demonstrated HLA-E expression in uveal melanoma cell lines at the transcription level. This suggests that uveal melanoma cells can escape lysis by CD94/NKG2A-positive NK cells through HLA-E and may not need to express HLA-G.
Furthermore, besides an MHC class Imediated inhibition of NK cell function, uveal melanoma cells may escape NK cell immunosurveillance by the production of macrophage migration-inhibitory factor (MIF). MIF, produced by numerous cells in the eye and present in the aqueous humor, has been shown to protect intraocular tumor cells against NK cellmediated lysis.26 27 Recently, Repp et al.28 demonstrated that uveal melanoma cells themselves, especially metastatic cells, also can produce bioactive MIF. By this mechanism, as well as by the expression of HLA class I, uveal melanoma cells can gain protection against NK cells outside the immune-privileged environment of the eye. Of note is that in cutaneous melanoma, MIF expression by tumor cells has been correlated with tumor progression.29
In conclusion, in this study no evidence was found for HLA-G expression by uveal melanoma cells. This suggests that, in uveal melanoma, there is no role, either direct or indirect through HLA-E, for HLA-G in the inhibition of NK cellmediated lysis.
| Footnotes |
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Submitted for publication July 6, 2001; revised August 21, 2001; accepted September 5, 2001.
Commercial relationships policy: N.
The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page
charge payment. This article must therefore be marked
"advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C.
1734
solely to indicate this fact.
Corresponding author: H. Monique H. Hurks, Department of Ophthalmology, J3-S, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. h.m.m.hurks{at}lumc.nl
| References |
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IFN treatment Tissue Antigens 56,30-37[Medline][Order article via Infotrieve]
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