title: The abl/bcr gene product as a novel leukemia-specific antigen: peptides spanning the fusion region of abl/bcr can be recognized by both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes.
abstract: Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by a reciprocal translocation leading to the Philadelphia chromosome. Two fusion genes are created by this translocation: bcr/abl and abl/bcr. The fusion regions of both translocation products are unique and strictly limited to leukemia cells, giving rise to potential tumor-specific antigens. Although several studies on the immunogenicity of peptides spanning the bcr/abl fusion region have been reported, little is known about the corresponding reciprocal translocation product abl/bcr. Here we report that synthetic peptides representing the fusion region of the abl/bcr forms a1bb3 and a1bb4 can be specifically recognized by HLA-A2-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes from healthy donors. Furthermore, HLA-matched a1bb3-expressing CML cells can be recognized by a1bb3-specific HLA-A2-restricted T cells, indicating natural processing and presentation of abl/bcr protein by leukemia cells. Moreover, a 19-mer peptide encompassing this class I-binding sequence also elicited a1bb3-specific class II-restricted T-cell responses. Thus, both class I- and class II-restricted T-cell responses can be stimulated in healthy donors by abl/bcr peptides in vitro. Because abl/bcr is expressed in the majority of CML patients, it may represent a highly leukemia-specific antigen with potential use in immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Section for Transplantation Immunology and Immunohaematology, Second Department of Internal Medicine, Tübingen University Medical School, Tübingen, Germany. w.wagner@uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Wolfgang M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pawelec
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C406060:abl-bcr fusion protein, human; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl