title: Expression of gene MAGE-A4 in Reed-Sternberg cells.
abstract: Genes of the MAGE-A family are expressed in several types of solid tumors but are silent in normal tissues with the exception of male germline cells, which do not carry HLA molecules.Therefore, peptides encoded by MAGE-A genes are strictly tumor-specific antigens that can be recognized by CTL and constitute promising targets for immunotherapy. The expression of 6 genes of the MAGE-A family was tested with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in lymphoma samples. Among 38 samples of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1 anaplastic large cell lymphoma expressed genes MAGE-A1, -A2, -A3, -A4, and -A12, and 1 lymphoepithelioid T-cell lymphoma expressed gene MAGE-A4. Five of 18 samples (28%) from patients with Hodgkin disease expressed gene MAGE-A4. In tissue sections, staining by a monoclonal antibody that recognizes the MAGE-A4 protein was observed in 11 of 53 samples (21%) from patients with Hodgkin disease. In the positive samples, the Reed-Sternberg cells were strongly stained whereas the surrounding cells were not. These results indicate that Hodgkin disease may be a target for specific immunotherapy involving MAGE-A4 antigens.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U119 and Unité d'Immunologie des Tumeurs, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseilles, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chambost
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van Baren
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brasseur
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Godelaine
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xerri
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Landi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Theate
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plumas
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Spagnoli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Coulie
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Olive
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C095204:MAGEA4 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins