What types of colorectal cancer overexpress the MAGE protein?
OBJECTIVE
Tumor-specific antigens such as Melanoma-associated antigens could be attractive targets for immunotherapy. It will be a great help for cancer immunotherapy to distinguish what types of tumor expresses tumor-specific antigen.


METHODS
We investigated the expression pattern of MAGE-A1 by immunohistochemical typing methods in human colorectal cancers obtained from consecutive patients undergoing surgical treatment at the hospital of the University of Tokyo.


RESULTS
In 35 of 89 cases (39%), MAGE-A1 positive immunoreactivity was detected in the malignant glands. MAGE-A1 positive immunoreactivity was significantly higher among the patients under the age of 70 than among those 70 years of age and older (p=0.04). Among the patients under the age of 70, the tumors located in the distal colon (descending colon, sigmoid colon and rectum) showed significantly more positive MAGE-A1 immunoreactivity than those in the proximal colon (cecum, ascending colon and transverse colon) (p=0.04). The expression pattern of MAGE-A1 was not associated with gender, size, depth, histological type, vessel invasion, lymphatic invasion, lymph nodal invasion or stage of disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Relatively better results can be expected with MAGE-A1 immunotherapy among patients with distal colon cancer under the age of 70.
Koketsu
Shin-ichiro
S
Department of Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan. koketsu-tky@umin.ac.jp
Watanabe
Toshiaki
T
Kazama
Shinsuke
S
Ishihara
Soichiro
S
Komuro
Yasuhiro
Y
Nagawa
Hirokazu
H
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins