The Pathophysiological Impact of HLA Class Ia and HLA-G Expression and Regulatory T Cells in Malignant Melanoma: A Review

Figure 1

In some cases, tumor cells, for example, malignant melanoma cells, may obtain through selection processes an HLA expression profile that in varying degrees mimics the HLA expression on extra-villous trophoblast cells at the fetomaternal interface during pregnancy. The specific HLA expression profile on tumor cells involving one or several of the HLA class Ib molecules may be one mechanism leading to immunosuppression and immune escape (ILT: immunoglobulin-like transcript; KIR: killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors).