title: Tumor-specific and HLA-A2-restricted cytolysis by tumor-associated lymphocytes in human metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: A tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) immune response has been well documented in melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and ovarian cancer. Conflicting evidence exists regarding the existence of tumor-specific CTL populations in breast cancer. Tumor cells and tumor-associated lymphocytes (TAL) were isolated from the pleural effusions of six consecutive patients with metastatic breast cancer. After solid-phase anti-CD3 stimulation, TAL cultures were expanded with weekly autologous tumor stimulation and low-dose IL-2 for 3 wk. T cell populations were characterized using flow cytometric analysis and ranged from 49 to 91% CD8+, > 98% CD3+, and < 3% CD16+. Functionally, tumor-stimulated TAL showed tumor-specific recognition of autologous tumor cells (241 +/- 142 LU20/10(7)) and no detectable lysis of autologous fibroblasts, Daudi or K562. Cytotoxicity of TAL against HLA-A2+ allogeneic targets was significantly higher when compared with HLA-A2- tumor cell lines (127 +/- 76 vs 6 +/- 18 LU, p = 0.0001). This cytotoxicity against autologous and allogeneic tumor cells was blocked by anti-HLA-A2 mAb and cold HLA-A2+ targets in cold-target inhibition assays. TAL from all HLA-A2+ patients recognized GP2, a known, HER2/neu-derived tumor-associated peptide Ag that is HLA-A2 restricted. We have shown that TAL obtained from metastatic effusions of breast cancer patients contain lymphocytes that can recognize and lyse autologous and allogeneic tumor cells in a tumor-specific, HLA-A2-restricted fashion. In addition, tumor-specific TAL derived from breast cancer patients can selectively lyse HLA-A2+ pancreatic and ovarian tumor cell targets, suggesting a common HLA-A2-restricted tumor-associated Ag between these distinct epithelial cancers. Further elucidation of the cell-mediated immune response to breast cancer and the identification of shared TAA could result in the development of broadly applicable vaccine therapies for many cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Linehan
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Goedegebuure
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Peoples
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Eberlein
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000556:secondary; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017252:CD3 Complex; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D000939:Epitopes; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D007376:Interleukin-2; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases