title: Tumor-specific antigens in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: expression and sero-reactivity.
abstract: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a heterogeneous group of extra-nodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas with primary manifestation in the skin with poor treatment options in the advanced stages. As basis for future immune-therapeutic strategies we have investigated the possible expression of tumor-specific targets in CTCL focusing mainly on so-called cancer-germline genes. cDNAs derived from 20 CTCL tissues and 4 CTCL cell lines were tested with 15 gene-specific and 4 gene family-specific primers by RT-PCR and confirmative Northern blotting. The most frequently detected mRNAs were LAGE-1 (55% with only partial coexpression of the splicing variants), cTAGE-1 (35%), MAGE-A9 (27%) and the GAGE-3-7 group (35%). Furthermore, we could detect NY-ESO-1 (21%) and a MAGE-A subgroup (15%), whereas sub-specification of the latter proved absence of MAGE-A1, -A2, -A3, -A6 and -A12. SCP-1 was found in only one specimen and a several antigens could not been detected in any tumor tissue or cell line (MAGE-B, GAGE-1,2,8 and all 4 RAGE genes). 90% of all CTCL samples were positive for at least 1 of the frequent mRNAs in RT-PCR (LAGE-1, NY-ESO-1, cTAGE-1, MAGE-A9, or GAGE-3to7). Using a secondary SEREX approach we could detect sero-reactivity in sera of CTCL patients against recombinant cTAGE-1 (10/29), GAGE (3/19), MAGE-A1 (1/18), -A3 (1/18), -A6 (2/18) and -A9 (4/18) protein, but not against LAGE-1a, MAGE-A4b or MAGE-A12 protein (n = 19). We conclude, that certain cancer-germline genes can be detected frequently in CTCL and are able to elicit a systemic immune response. These candidate genes might therefore be promising targets for immunotherapeutic interventions in CTCL.
authors.affiliation: German Cancer Research Center, Skin Cancer Unit, Heidelberg, Germany. s.eichmueller@dkfz.de
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eichmüller
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Usener
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schadendorf
mesh_terms: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000954:Antigens, Surface; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; C510162:CTAG2 protein, human; C063419:CTAGE1 protein, human; C113434:GAGE7 protein, human; C420909:Mage-a2 antigen; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger