Adjuvant Immunotherapy of Resected, Intermediate-Thickness, Node-Negative Melanoma With an Allogeneic Tumor Vaccine: Impact of HLA Class I Antigen Expression on Outcome

Abstract

This prospective analysis indicates a highly significant benefit of adjuvant therapy with Melacine among patients expressing > or = two of the M5 class I antigens, validating a prior observation in stage IV disease. HLA-A2 and HLA-C3 contributed most to this effect. Processed melanoma peptides found in Melacine may be presented by HLA-A2 and HLA-C3 and play a role in preventing relapse in vaccinated patients.