title: Differences in T-cell immunity toward tumor-associated antigens in colorectal cancer and breast cancer patients.
abstract: There is increasing evidence that tumors elicit specific T-cell responses in a substantial proportion of patients. Recently, we have shown that in patients with colorectal cancer specific T cells against the tumor-associated antigens (TAA) Ep-CAM, her-2/neu or CEA can be detected in peripheral blood using IFNgamma-ELISPOT assay. In our study, we have analyzed T-cell responses against HLA-A*0201-restricted epitopes of these TAA in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Surprisingly, a complete absence of ex vivo T-cell responses against these TAA was found in 20 patients with breast cancer. In contrast, specific T cells were detectable in 12 of 49 patients with colorectal cancer against at least 1 of these TAA, confirming our previous results. T-cell responses against influenza-derived peptides were similar in both malignancies. The results of our study indicate a difference either of tumor immunogenicity or of the migratory pattern of tumor-specific T cells between breast cancer and colorectal cancer patients. The findings reported here have implications for the development of antigen-specific T-cell therapies.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik III, Hematology, Oncology, and Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nagorsen
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scheibenbogen
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schaller
authors.forename: Binta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leigh
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmittel
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Letsch
authors.forename: Eckhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Keilholz
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000276:immunology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C435939:HLA-A*02:01 antigen; C448634:influenza matrix peptide (58-66)