Expression of the melanoma antigen-encoding gene in human lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We surveyed expression of melanoma antigen-encoding genes in lung cancer because of promising implications for immunotherapy.


METHODS
We studied 57 human lung carcinoma specimens using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).


RESULTS
In the samples, the expression of melanoma antigen-encoding genes 1, 2, and 3 was observed in 9/43 (20.9%), 13/43 (30.2%), and 22/48 (45.8%), respectively. In 28 cases in which all three messenger RNAs were sought, 18 (64.3%) showed expression of at least one gene, 10 (35.7%) showed expression of two or three genes, and 10 (35.7%) were negative for all three genes. In a clinicopathologic analysis, melanoma antigen-encoding genes 1 and 3 were frequently expressed in squamous cell carcinomas (P = 0.0543) and in cases with regional lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0572), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The high incidence of melanoma antigen-encoding gene expression in lung cancer indicates the possibility of a future specific immunotherapy for this disease.
Yoshimatsu
T
T
Department of Surgery II, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Yoshino
I
I
Ohgami
A
A
Takenoyama
M
M
Hanagiri
T
T
Nomoto
K
K
Yasumoto
K
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000235:genetics; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000235:genetics; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C095365:GAGE1 protein, human; C095366:GAGE2A protein, human; C072013:MAGEA3 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger