title: Specificity of antibodies directed against Env protein of human endogenous retroviruses in patients with germ cell tumors.
abstract: We report here that 85% of the patients with germ cell tumors (GCTs) produce antibodies directed against Env protein of human endogenous retroviruses. Individuals that received antitumor treatment showed a decrease with time in their antibody titers. Importantly, of the rare cases of non-GCT individuals with Env-antibodies (n= 15, 0.8%), none produced antibodies directed against the transmembrane domain (TM), whereas all tested Env-positive GCT patients (n= 49) generated such antibodies at high titers. TM is required for Env to be expressed at the cell surface. Thus, anti-TM antibodies constitute highly specific markers for GCT and may hint at a function of Env during tumorigenesis.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Virologie, Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universitätskliniken des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roemer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Best
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Afting
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schommer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mueller-Lantzsch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000276:immunology; D018237:Germinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D017924:Nucleopolyhedroviruses / Q000235:genetics; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018411:Spodoptera; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011994:Recombinant Proteins