Human leukocyte antigens and immunoglobulin allotypes in head and neck cancer patients with and without multiple primary tumors.

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and immunoglobulin (Ig) allotypes were examined in 98 patients with single head and neck cancers, and in 51 patients with multiple primary tumors. Immunoglobulin allotype Km (1) was present in 4% of patients with multiple primary tumors versus 21% in patients with a single head and neck cancer. The frequency of HLA-B8, HLA-DR3, and HLA-DQW2 in patients with multiple primary tumors and of HLA-B8, and HLA-B45 in patients with a single head and neck cancer increased significantly as compared with the control population. Those data suggest genetic influences--next to environmental factors--on the pathogenesis of multiple primary tumors in head and neck squamous cancer. It might be worthwhile to use HLA typing and Ig allotyping in the selection of patients in whom aggressive screening for second tumors is mandatory.