PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - M. A. Van Eijkeren AU - J. P. Roovers AU - V. Oorschot AU - H. J. Geuze TI - Overall major histocompatibility complex class I expression is not downregulated in cervix cancer, as detected by immunoelectron microscopy AID - 10.1136/ijgc-00009577-200403000-00019 DP - 2004 Feb 01 TA - International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer PG - 317--321 VI - 14 IP - 2 4099 - http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/14/2/317.short 4100 - http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/14/2/317.full SO - Int J Gynecol Cancer2004 Feb 01; 14 AB - Downregulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules in cervix cancer has been proposed as a mechanism for cancer cells to escape immunodetection. By means of light microscopic immunohistochemistry, it has been shown that in 20–70% of cervix cancers MHC class I is downregulated. We have reinvestigated this phenomenon by quantitative immunogold analysis of MHC class I labeling on the plasma membrane of cervix epithelial cells in ten human squamous cancers and ten normal human cervices. We have not found a statistically significant difference in MHC class I expression between normal and cancer cells. The difference with published light microscopic data probably reflects the higher morphologic resolution and quantifiable immunoreactivity of the immunoelectron microscopy.