title: Expression and antigenicity of survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis family member, in bladder cancer: implications for specific immunotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the expression of survivin in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and to study whether survivin is a transitional cell carcinoma-specific antigen that could be a target for immunotherapy. Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis family member, has been reported to be expressed in various cancers but not in normal adult tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining for survivin and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I was performed on specimens from 88 patients who underwent transurethral resection and radical cystectomy. To determine whether survivin was recognized as a tumor antigen by the host immune system, we assessed anti-survivin antibodies in the sera of 52 patients and 18 healthy volunteers with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using recombinant survivin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survivin and HLA class I were expressed in 77 (87.5%) and 59 (67.0%) of the 88 bladder cancer specimens, respectively, and 56 (63.6%) expressed both survivin and HLA class I. The absorbance values of anti-survivin antibodies in patients with bladder cancer were significantly greater than those in the healthy volunteers. A relationship was found between the level of serum anti-survivin antibodies and the staining intensity of survivin in the specimen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survivin is expressed in carcinoma of the bladder with high sensitivity. It is suggested that survivin is presented on HLA class I molecules of antigen-presenting cells in 64% of patients with bladder cancer. Therapeutic targeting of survivin in bladder cancer is a future possibility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. hkitamu@sapmed.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Torigoe
authors.forename: Ichiya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Honma
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asanuma
authors.forename: Emiri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimozawa
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirohashi
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Taiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D000077022:Survivin; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000077022:Survivin