Expression of cancer-testis genes in human hepatocellular carcinomas.
Cancer-testis (CT) genes are expressed in a variety of human cancers, but not in normal tissues except for testis, and represent promising targets for immunotherapy and gene therapy. We investigated the expression of 10 CT genes (MAGE-1, MAGE-3, MAGE-4, GAGE, NY-ESO-1, SSX-1, HOM-MEL-40/SSX-2, SSX-4, HOM-TES-14/SCP-1, and HOM-TES-85) in 21 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) biopsy specimens. The most frequently expressed CT genes were SSX-1 and GAGE, which were found in 8/21 (38%) HCC samples, followed by HOM-TES-14/SCP-1 (6/21 or 29%), MAGE-3 (5/21 or 24%), HOM-TES-85 and MAGE-1 (4/21 or 19% each), whereas SSX-4 and HOM-MEL-40/SSX-2 were only expressed in 2/21 cases each, MAGE-4 in one case, and NY-ESO-1 not at all. Of the 21 HCC cases investigated, only four did not express any of the CT genes tested, 17 (81%) expressed at least one, 9 (43%) coexpressed two, four (19%) coexpressed four, three (14%) coexpressed five and one coexpressed 8 of the 10 CT genes tested. We conclude that a majority of HCC cases might be amenable to specific immunotherapeutic interventions. However, the identification of additional tumor-specific antigens with a frequent expression in HCCs is warranted to develop widely applicable, polyvalent HCC vaccines.
Department of Embryology, Guangxi Medical University, China.
Guorong
G
Luo
Shaoming
S
Huang
Xiaoxun
X
Xie
Elisabeth
E
Stockert
Yao-Tseng
YT
Chen
Boris
B
Kubuschok
Michael
M
Pfreundschuh
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000379:methods; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C456621:LUZP4 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins