Expression of MAGE-A cancer/testis antigens in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.
BACKGROUND
Although the diagnosis and therapy of esophageal cancer have improved over the past decade, the prognosis remains dismal. Since MAGE-A cancer/testis antigens (CTA) are potential targets for immunotherapy, this study was aimed at evaluating their expression in these patients and its prognostic value.


METHODS
Using 57B monoclonal antibody, MAGE-A CTA expression was analyzed in paraffin-embedded tumor specimens of 98 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinomas who had undergone surgical resection. For all patients, a postoperative follow-up of at least 4 years was available. The expression was quantified using a scoring system considering intensity and homogeneity of the immunostaining. The prognostic relevance of MAGE-A expression was analyzed in univariate analyses as well as Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.


RESULTS
57B positivity could be detected in 38 tumors (38.8%). Positive staining was observed in five out of 32 adenocarcinomas (15.2%) and in 33 out of 66 (50%) squamous cell carcinomas. MAGE-A expression did not correlate with the TNM classification, grading or age of the patients. Both univariate (p=0.88) and multivariate analyses (p = 0.82) revealed that MAGE-A expression lacked prognostic significance in esophageal carcinomas.


CONCLUSIONS
MAGE-A was expressed in half of the squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus, but rarely in adenocarcinomas. Although its immunodetection was insufficient for prognostic evaluation, the high expression rate suggests MAGE-A as a potential target for immunotherapy in the first group with the ability for pretherapeutic testing.
Haier
J
J
Molecular Biology Lab., Dept. of General Surgery, University Hospital Münster, Waldeyerstr. 1, 48149 Münster, Germany. haier@uni-muenster.de
Owzcareck
M
M
Guller
U
U
Spagnoli
G C
GC
Bürger
H
H
Senninger
N
N
Kocher
Th
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; C072011:MAGEA1 protein, human; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins