Linkage of human leukocyte antigens, infection with oncogenic viruses, immunodeficiency and head and neck cancer: Differences between Chinese and German populations

Head and neck cancer demonstrates a remarkable heterogeneity in incidence rates in Caucasian and Asian populations, and nearly reciprocal association of nasopharynx carcinoma (NPC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in Chinese and Germans. Reasons for these differences are not yet exactly known but may be associated to differences in human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and haplotypes and their linkage to either impaired or improved immune surveillance (IS). As effective IS and deletion of neoplastic cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) depends on proper presentation of peptides derived from tumor-associated antigens (TAA; e.g. peptides from aberrantly expressed proteins, proteins of oncogenic viruses or neoantigens), the different HLA patterns may impact the effective presentation of TAA-peptides to CTL. Besides differences in life-style associated risk, infections with the oncogenic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) which are common in both populations to a comparably high proportion of healthy blood donors but associated with an increased different risk to develop either EBV-related NPC or HPV-related HNSCC in Chinese and Germans, respectively, may play a role. As we do not know whether the development of NPC is also linked to HLA traits, and if HLA traits are responsible for the remarkable reciprocity in NPC and HNSCC in Germans and the Chinese, we are aiming on clarification by elucidation of underlying genetic differences e.g. in HLA and IS-related genes to facilitate understanding of mechanisms leading to NPC and HNSCC benefitting both partners. Key to success in this regard may be to compare i) HLA frequencies, ii) haplotypes, iii) their association with NPC and HNSCC, iv) impact of HLA on PFS in NPC and HNSCC.

Publication History

Publication Date:
23 April 2019 (online)