HLA-A and cancer: What is the explanation for the observed low and/or heterogeneous expression of HLA class I? In other cancers, defects in the antigen presentation pathway were reported at different levels (mutations in HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-C genes, β2-microglobulin or defects in components of antigen-processing machinery) and have been regarded as mechanisms to escape from T-cell immune recognition [27–29].