Comparison of HLA Phenotypes in Long-Term Survivors with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treated with Immunotherapy Versus Chemotherapy

Abstract

Experimental data dealing with immunotherapy are usually obtained by studying pure inbred strains, in which all animals carry the same genetic pattern for immune response. In humans, it appears likely that any group of patients includes individuals with the ability to elicit a good immunologic response to a given antigen. As in animals, most immune-response genes were demonstrated to be linked with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) [4]. It appeared of interest to see whether HLA phenotype could influence the response to cancer immunotherapy in humans. In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), HLA studies have been disappointing [1]. ALL was initially supposed to be a good candidate for HLA-disease association, since in mice the susceptibility to virus-induced leukemia is genetically linked with the I-region of the MHC [3]. Nevertheless, since the pioneer work of Kourilsky in 1968 [2], no clear association could be demonstrated between ALL and any individual HLA antigen.