肿瘤特异性肿瘤/睾丸抗原在肝癌组织中的表达

目的 研究7种主要肿瘤/睾丸(CT)抗原MAGE-1、MAGE-3、MAGE-4、MAGE-10、NY-ESO-1、SSX-2、SCP-1在原发性肝细胞癌(HCC)患者癌组织中的表达、编码基因的变异状况及与临床指标的关系。 方法 收集30例肝癌患者的癌和癌旁组织,采用特异性引物逆转录聚合酶链反应检测7种CT抗原的表达,并对PCR产物进行测序分析。结果 在30例HCC患者中,MAGE-1、MAGE-3、MAGE-4、MAGE-10、NY-ESO-1、SSX-2、SCP-1在癌组织中的表达率分别为66.7％、70.0％、20.0％、36.7％、40.0％、33.3％和33.3％,而癌旁没有表达。癌组织中至少表达1种、2种和3种CT抗原的阳性率分别为90.0％、70.0％和53.5％。我国肝癌表达的7种CT抗原编码基因与国外报道的相比,同源性非常高。MAGE-10和SCP-1的表达与甲胎蛋白的水平相关,MAGE-3和SSX-2表达与平均年龄相关。 结论 7种CT抗原在HCC患者癌组织中均有表达,阳性率为20.0％-70.0％,其编码基因序列高度保守。一些CT抗原的表达与临床指标存在相关性。     

肝癌细胞株中肿瘤特异性抗原MAGE、GAGE、BAGE基因表达的研究

目的 研究MAGE、GAGE、BAGE基因在肝癌细胞株中的表达情况,评价这些肿瘤特异性抗原作为肿瘤分子标记以及肿瘤免疫治疗特异性靶位的可能性。 方法 用RT-PCR检测国内建株的肝癌细胞株SMMC-7721、QQY-7701、BEL-7402中MAGE-1、MAGE-3、GAGE1-8、GAGE1-2和BAGE基因mRNA的表达,以GAPDH基因作为检测内对照,并与非肿瘤肝穿组织比较。 结果 肝癌细胞株SMMC-7721表达MAGE-1和BAGE基因;QQY-7701表达MAGE-3和BAGE基因;BEL-7402表达MAGE-1和GAGE1-2基因;3株肝癌细胞至少表达其中一个基因。肝硬化病人肝穿刺组织中MAGE、GAGE、BAGE基因表达均为阴性。 结论 MAGE、GAGE、B A G E肿瘤特异性抗原可以作为肝癌早期诊断的分子标记,并具有作为肝癌免疫治疗特异性靶位的潜在价值。     

Immunomic analysis of human sarcoma

The screening of cDNA expression libraries from human tumors with serum antibody (SEREX) has proven to be a powerful method for identifying the repertoire of tumor antigens recognized by the immune system of cancer patients, referred to as the cancer immunome. In this regard, cancer/testis (CT) antigens are of particular interest because of their immunogenicity and restricted expression patterns. Synoivial sarcomas are striking with regard to CT antigen expression, with >80% of specimens homogeneously expressing NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-A3. In the present study, 54 sarcoma patients were tested for serum antibodies to NY-ESO-1, SSX2, MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3, MAGE-A4, MAGE-A10, CT7, and CT10. Two patients had detectable antibodies to CT antigens, and this seroreactivity was restricted to NY-ESO-1. Thus, although highly expressed in sarcoma, CT antigens do not induce frequent humoral immune responses in sarcoma patients. Sera from these two patients were used to immunoscreen cDNA libraries from two synovial sarcoma cell lines and normal testis, resulting in the identification of 113 distinct antigens. Thirty-nine antigens were previously identified by SEREX analysis of other tumor types, and 2339 antigens (59%) had a serological profile that was not restricted to cancer patients, indicating that only a proportion of SEREX-defined antigens are cancer-related. A novel CT antigen, NY-SAR-35, mapping to chromosome Xq28 was identified among the cancer-related antigens, and encodes a putative extracellular protein. In addition to testis-restricted expression, NY-SAR-35 mRNA was expressed in sarcoma, melanoma, esophageal cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer. NY-SAR-35 is therefore a potential target for cancer vaccines and monoclonal antibody-based immunotherapies.     

Genes encoding tumor-specific antigens are expressed in human myeloma cells.

Genes of the MAGE, BAGE, GAGE, and LAGE-1/NY-ESO-1 families encode antigenic peptides that are presented by HLA class I molecules and that are recognized on human tumors by autologous cytolytic T lymphocytes. These genes are expressed in many solid tumor types but not in normal tissues, except male germline cells. Because the latter cells are devoid of HLA molecules, the derived antigens are strictly tumor-specific and should constitute safe immunogens for cancer immunotherapy. We detected a significant expression of these genes in a high proportion of bone marrow samples from patients with advanced multiple myeloma. This observation provides a basis for clinical trials aimed at inducing a cellular immune response directed at malignant plasma cells in advanced myeloma patients.     

肿瘤-睾丸抗原MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1 mRNA在胃肠间质瘤中的表达

目的:探讨肿瘤-睾丸抗原(CTA)MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1作为胃肠间质瘤(GISTs)免疫治疗特异性靶点及MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1 mRNA作为辅助GISTs危险度分级指标的可能性.及其与GISTs生物学行为的关系.方法:采用逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)技术,检测30例GISTs中MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1mRNA的表达,并取正常胃肠道组织作为阴性对照组,同时分析MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1mRNA表达与病理特征的关系.结果:正常对照组中无阳性表达,30例GISTs中,18例至少表达一种CTA,MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1 mRNA在GISTs中的表达率分别为30%和47%.MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1 mRNA表达与患者年龄、性别和病理类型无关,而与肿瘤生长部位、肿瘤大小及危险度分级有关(P<0.05).MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1 mRNA在低危、中危、高危三个组中表达量随着危险度分级的升高而增高,三组间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05).MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1 mRNA在GISTs中的表达不存在相关性(r=0.018,P>0.05).结论:MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1 mRNA在GISTs中的高特异性表达,其抗原有望成为GISTs免疫治疗特异性的靶点:MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1 mRNA表达与GISTs危险度分级有关,MAGE-1和NY-ESO-1 mRNA有望成为辅助GISTs危险度分级的诊断指标.     

NY-ESO-1 is highly expressed in poor-prognosis multiple myeloma and induces spontaneous humoral and cellular immune responses

The presence of a metaphase cytogenetic abnormality (CA) is the key negative predictor of outcome in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Gene expression profiling (GEP) of such patients showed increased expression of NY-ESO-1 compared to patients with normal cytogenetics (60% versus 31%; P = .004). NY-ESO-1 was also highly expressed in relapsing MM especially patients with CA (100% versus 60.7%; P < .001). GEP findings were confirmed at the protein level by immunostaining of marrow biopsies for NY-ESO-1. We detected spontaneous NY-ESO-1-specific antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 33% of patients with NY-ESO-1+ MM, especially in CA patients (9 of 13; 70%), but in none of the NY-ESO-1- patients with MM (n = 27) or healthy donors (n = 21). Spontaneous NY-ESO-1(157-165)-specific T cells (0.2%-0.6% of CD8+ T cells) were found in the peripheral blood of NY-ESO-1+ MM with HLA-A*0201/NY-ESO-1(157-165) tetramers. These NY-ESO-1-specific T cells, when expanded, killed primary MM cells (50% lysis, effector-target [E/T] ratio, 10:1). Our data demonstrate that NY-ESO-1 is frequently expressed in MM with CA and is capable of eliciting spontaneous humoral and T-cell immunity. The pool of NY-ESO-1-specific cytotoxic T cells expands easily on NY-ESO-1 peptide stimulation and is functionally active. NY-ESO-1 should therefore be an ideal tumor target antigen for immunotherapy of patients with poor-prognosis MM.     

Monitoring CD8 T cell responses to NY-ESO-1: correlation of humoral and cellular immune responses

NY-ESO-1, a member of the cancer-testis family of antigens, is expressed in a subset of a broad range of different human tumor types. Patients with advanced NY-ESO-1-expressing tumors frequently develop humoral immunity to NY-ESO-1, and three HLA A2-restricted peptides were defined previously as targets for cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells in a melanoma patient with NY-ESO-1 antibody. The objectives of the present study were (i) to develop enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) and tetramer assays to measure CD8(+) T cell responses to NY-ESO-1, (ii) to determine the frequency of CD8(+) T cell responses to NY-ESO-1 in a series of HLA-A2 patients with NY-ESO-1 expressing tumors, (iii) to determine the relation between CD8(+) T cell and humoral immune responses to NY-ESO-1, and (iv) to compare results of NY-ESO-1 ELISPOT assays performed independently in two laboratories with T cells from the same patients. NY-ESO-1 ELISPOT and tetramer assays with excellent sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility have been developed and found to correlate with cytotoxicity assays. CD8(+) T cell responses to HLA-A2-restricted NY-ESO-1 peptides were detected in 10 of 11 patients with NY-ESO-1 antibody, but not in patients lacking antibody or in patients with NY-ESO-1-negative tumors. The results of ELISPOT assays were concordant in the two laboratories, providing the basis for standardized monitoring of T cell responses in patients receiving NY-ESO-1 vaccines.     

Complex humoral immune response against a benign tumor: frequent antibody response against specific antigens as diagnostic targets

There are numerous studies on the immune response against malignant human tumors. This study was aimed to address the complexity and specificity of humoral immune response against a benign human tumor. We assembled a panel of 62 meningioma-expressed antigens that show reactivity with serum antibodies of meningioma patients, including 41 previously uncharacterized antigens by screening of a fetal brain expression library. We tested the panel for reactivity with 48 sera, including sera of patients with common-type, atypical, and anaplastic meningioma, respectively. Meningioma sera detected an average of 14.6 antigens per serum and normal sera an average of 7.8 antigens per serum (P = 0.0001). We found a decline of seroreactivity with malignancy with a statistical significant difference between common-type and anaplastic meningioma (P < 0.05). We detected 17 antigens exclusively with patient sera, including 12 sera that were reactive against KIAA1344, 9 against natural killer tumor recognition (NKTR), and 7 against SRY (sex determining region Y)-box2 (SOX2). More than 80% of meningioma patients had antibodies against at least one of the antigens KIAA1344, SC65, SOX2, and C6orf153. Our results show a highly complex but specific humoral immune response against a benign tumor with a distinct serum reactivity pattern and a decline of complexity with malignancy. The frequent antibody response against specific antigens offers new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for meningioma. We developed a statistical learning method to differentiate sera of meningioma patients from sera of healthy donors.     

Expression of Cancer-Testis Antigens MAGE-A3/6 and NY-ESO-1 in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinomas and Their Relationship with Immune Cell Infiltration

Cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) are expressed only in many cancers and limited immunoprivileged sites such as the testis and placenta. Dendritic cells (DCs) and CD8+ T lymphocytes (CTLs) play roles in the immune responses to tumor growth and may affect the prognosis of cancers. This study was designed to investigate the clinicopathologic significance of CTA expression in non-small-cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs) and its relationship with immune cells. Immunohistochemical staining to CTAs such as MAGE-A3/6 and NY-ESO-1 was performed using paraffin blocks from 132 cases of NSCLCs, including 75 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) and 57 cases of adenocarcinoma (AdC), and the results were evaluated to correlate with tumor-infiltrating DCs and CTLs and clinicopathologic features. MAGE-A3/6 and NY-ESO-1 were expressed in 50.0% (66/132) and 18.2% (24/132) of NSCLCs, respectively. MAGE-A3/6 was expressed more frequently in SqCC than in AdC, but the expression of NY-ESO-1 showed no difference in both types. CTAs revealed a higher expression in male than in female. In advanced stage III, NY-ESO-1-positive patients showed poorer survival than NY-ESO-1-negative patients. Otherwise, the CTA expression did not correlate with clinicopathologic parameters. No relationship was found between DC and CTL infiltration in all NSCLCs. Regarding DC infiltration, the group showing negative expression to CTAs displayed an even higher number of infiltrating DCs than those showing positivity to one or the other or both CTAs. Although the aberrant expression of MAGE-A3/6 and NY-ESO-1 in NSCLC did not directly influence clinical prognostic factors, the higher expression of MAGE-A3/6 in SqCC suggests its value as a potential target for immunotherapy in this type of NSCLC. The inverse relationship between DCs and CTA expression may indicate that CTA-positive tumor cells would be akin to tumor stem cells escaping host immune response.     

Induction of primary NY-ESO-1 immunity: CD8+ T lymphocyte and antibody responses in peptide-vaccinated patients with NY-ESO-1+ cancers

Cancer-testis antigen NY-ESO-1 is one of the most immunogenic tumor antigens defined to date. Spontaneous humoral and CD8+ T-cell responses to NY-ESO-1 are detected in 40-50% of patients with advanced NY-ESO-1-expressing tumors. A clinical trial was initiated to study the immunological effects of intradermal vaccination with 3 HLA-A2-binding NY-ESO-1 peptides in 12 patients with metastatic NY-ESO-1-expressing cancers. Seven patients were NY-ESO-1 serum antibody negative, and five patients were NY-ESO-1 serum antibody positive at the outset of the study. Primary peptide-specific CD8+ T-cell reactions and delayed-type hypersensitivity responses were generated in four of seven NY-ESO-1 antibody-negative patients. Induction of a specific CD8+ T-cell response to NY-ESO-1 in immunized antibody-negative patients was associated with disease stabilization and objective regression of single metastases. NY-ESO-1 antibody-positive patients did not develop significant changes in baseline NY-ESO-1-specific T-cell reactivity. However, stabilization of disease and regression of individual metastases were observed in three of five immunized patients. These results demonstrate that primary NY-ESO-1-specific CD8+ T-cell responses can be induced by intradermal immunization with NY-ESO-1 peptides, and that immunization with NY-ESO-1 may have the potential to alter the natural course of NY-ESO-1-expressing tumors.     

Survey of naturally occurring CD4+ T cell responses against NY-ESO-1 in cancer patients: correlation with antibody responses

NY-ESO-1 is one of the most immunogenic proteins described in human cancers, based on its capacity to elicit simultaneous antibody and CD8+ T cell responses in vivo. Although HLA class II restricted epitopes from NY-ESO-1 have been identified, no broad survey has yet established the status of natural CD4+ T cell responses in cancer patients in relation to CD8+ and antibody responses. We used a recently developed general strategy for monitoring CD4+ responses that overcomes the need for prior knowledge of epitope or HLA restriction to analyze a series of 31 cancer patients and healthy donors for the presence of CD4+ T cells to NY-ESO-1, and related this response to NY-ESO-1 expression in tumor cells and serum antibodies to NY-ESO-1. None of the 18 patients that tested seronegative for NY-ESO-1 had detectable CD4+ T cell responses. On the contrary, 11 of 13 cancer patients with serum antibodies to NY-ESO-1 had polyclonal CD4+ T cell responses directed against various known and previously undescribed NY-ESO-1 epitopes. NY-ESO-1 peptide 80-109 was the most immunogenic, with 10 of 11 patients responding to this peptide. We show here that 12-mer determinants from NY-ESO-1 eliciting a CD4+ T cell response were peptide 87-98 with promiscuous HLA class II presentation, peptide 108-119 restricted by HLA-DP4, and peptides 121-132 and 145-156, both shorter epitopes from previously described HLA-DR4 peptides, also presented by HLA-DR7. This study represents the next step in compiling a comprehensive picture of the adaptive immune response to NY-ESO-1, and provides a general strategy for analyzing the CD4+ T cell response to other tumor antigens eliciting a humoral immune response.     

CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells control the induction of antigen-specific CD4+ helper T cell responses in cancer patients

A proportion of cancer patients naturally develop CD4+ T-helper type 1 (Th1) cell responses to NY-ESO-1 that correlate with anti-NY-ESO-1 serum antibodies. To address the role of T-cell regulation in the control of spontaneous tumor immunity, we analyzed NY-ESO-1-specific Th1 cell induction before or after depletion of CD4+CD25+ T cells in vitro. While Th1 cells were generated in the presence of CD25+ T cells in cancer patients seropositive for NY-ESO-1, seronegative cancer patients and healthy donors required CD25+ T-cell depletion for in vitro induction of NY-ESO-1-specific Th1 cells. In vitro, newly generated NY-ESO-1-specific Th1 cells were derived from naive precursors, whereas preexisting memory populations were detectable exclusively in patients with NY-ESO-1 antibody. Memory populations were less sensitive than naive populations to CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. We propose that CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells are involved in the generation and regulation of NY-ESO-1-specific antitumor immunity.     

肿瘤-睾丸抗原MAGE-1、MAGE-3、SSX-2及NY-ESO-1在胃癌中的表达

目的　检测肿瘤 睾丸 (cancer testis ,CT)抗原MAGE 1、MAGE 3、NY ESO l及SSX 2基因mRNA在胃癌组织中的表达 ,探索其在胃癌免疫治疗中的应用价值。方法　用逆转录聚合酶链反应 (RT PCR)方法对胃癌患者癌组织、相应癌旁组织和对照组织(慢性胃炎和正常胃组织 )中的MAGE 1、MAGE 3、NY ESO 1及SSX 2基因mRNA进行检测 ,结合临床指标进行分析 ,随机选取RT PCR阳性扩增产物进行序列测定。结果　在在检测的 5 0例胃癌组织中 ,MAGE 1、MAGE 3、NY ESO 1及SSX 2基因mRNA阳性率分别是 48% (2 4/5 0 )、42 % % (2 1/5 0 )、11% (6/5 0 )和 8% (4 /5 0 ) ;多个CT抗原基因mRNA在胃癌中同时表达 ,至少表达一种CT抗原者达76% (3 8/5 0 ) ,表达两种或两种以上者为 40 % (2 0 /5 0 ) ,表达三种或三种以上者为 10 % (5 /5 0 ) ,同时表达四种者为 6% (3 /5 0 )。而相应的癌旁组织和对照组织中均未检测到四种目的基因的表达。DNA测序结果表明RT PCR产物确为这四种基因的目的片段。MAGE 1、MAGE 3、NY ESO 1及SSX 2基因的表达与年龄、性别、肿瘤大小、分化程度、浸润深度和淋巴结转移等无显著相关性 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论　CT抗原 (MAGE 1、MAGE 3、NY ESO 1及SSX 2 )基因在胃癌组织中呈高特异表达 ,这使得以这些基因编码的蛋     

Adaptive immunotherapy of the advanced prostate cancer - cancer testis antigen (CTA) as possible target antigens

Prostate cancer (PCa) like other tumors expresses antigens that may serve as target for specific immunotherapy. Special antigen-presenting cells (e. g., dendritic cells) are capable of generating tumor-specific immunity. Cytotoxic T-cells (killer cells) are very effective against antigens and, consequently, against the respective tissue or tumor. Cancer testis antigens (CTA) are expressed in various human cancers but, aside from the testicles, not in normal tissue. Therefore, they are suitable for a specific tumor immunotherapy. We looked at different CTA (LAGE-1, PRAME, MAGE-C2, NY-ESO-1, SSX-2 and PAGE4) and their occurrence in prostatic cancer. Expression of CTA in various PCa cell lines and PCa material from patients was very heterogeneous. Only PAGE4 was expressed in primary PCa and in LnCaP cells as well as in hormone-dependent and hormone-refractory PCa probes. We conclude that PAGE4 should be further evaluated as a potential target for immunotherapy of PCa.