Expression of human leukocyte antigen-G and its correlation with interleukin-10 expression in cervical carcinoma

Objective: To determine human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G and interleukin (IL)-10 expression and the relationship between HLA-G expression and clinicopathologic features in patients with cervical cancer. Method: Tissue samples were obtained from 40 patients with cervical cancer and 15 control patients with a normal cervix. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR for mRNA and western blot analysis for protein expression were used. Result: Both HLA-G and IL-10 mRNA expression in cervical cancer tissues was significantly greater than normal controls (P < 0.001, P = 0.005). Protein expression of HLA-G and IL-10 in the cancer group was also significantly greater than in the controls (P < 0.001, P = 0.021). There was an inverse relationship between FIGO stage and HLA-G mRNA expression (P = 0.046). Conclusion: HLA-G and IL-10 might play an important role in cancer progression of the cervix. High HLA-G mRNA expression may be related to early carcinogenesis since it was associated with early-stage cervical cancer.