title: Expression of the SART1 tumor-rejection antigen in hepatocellular carcinomas.
abstract: We previously reported a tumor-rejection antigen, SART1259, possessing tumor epitopes capable of inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in epithelial cancer patients. The present study investigated the expression of the SART1259 antigen in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) in order to explore for a potential molecule for use in specific immunotherapy of HCC patients. Expression of the SART1 antigens in samples was analyzed by western blot analysis with anti-SART1259 and anti-SART1800 polyclonal antibodies. In addition HLA-A24- restricted CTLs were induced from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HLA-A24+ HCC patients by the SART1690-698 (EYRGFTQDF) peptide with an HLA-A24 binding motif. The SART1259 antigen was detected in the cytoplasmic fraction of 6 of 8 HCC cell lines and 12 of 23 (52%) HCC tissues, but in none of the normal liver tissues or those of chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. The HLA-A24 restricted and SART1-specific CTLs recognized the HLA-A24+ and SART1259+ HCC cells. Further, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HCC patients, the SART1690-698 peptide induced CTLs that reacted to the HCC cells in an HLA-A24-restricted manner. These results suggest that the SART1259 antigen could be an appropriate target molecule for use in specific immunotherapy of HCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yutani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shichijo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawagoe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurohiji
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000097:blood; D059871:HLA-A24 Antigen; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D059871:HLA-A24 Antigen; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; C431323:SART1 protein, human