title: Autoantibodies to Abl and Bcr proteins.
abstract: Formation of an aberrant, chimeric Bcr-Abl protein is the hallmark of Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive leukemias. The Bcr-Abl protein, as well as its normal cellular counterparts--Abl and Bcr--are intracellular molecules with postulated roles in a variety of critical biologic functions. In this study, we demonstrate the existence of autoantibodies against these proteins. Plasma from 18 of 31 individuals (58%), including 14 of 20 Ph-positive CML patients (70%), two of four normal volunteers (50%), and two of seven patients with Ph-negative leukemia (29%) recognized p210Bcr-Abl when used in immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblotting experiments. In all 18 patients, plasma was able to recognize baculovirus-expressed Abl protein; in four patients, recognition of baculovirus-expressed Bcr protein was also demonstrated. These observations suggest that a humoral immune response to p210Bcr-Abl is discernible in both Ph-positive and -negative leukemias and in healthy individuals, and is most likely due to autoantibodies which recognize normal Abl and, to a lesser extent, normal Bcr proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioimmunotherapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talpaz
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cortes
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kantarjian
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurzrock
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000276:immunology*; D054438:Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic, Atypical, BCR-ABL Negative / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D010677:Philadelphia Chromosome; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016315:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl / Q000276:immunology; D051562:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcr
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl; D016315:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl; C496613:BCR protein, human; D051562:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcr