title: Detection, isolation, and characterization of alpha-fetoprotein-specific T cell populations and clones using MHC class I multimer magnetic sorting.
abstract: alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a fetal protein specifically reexpressed in 50% of hepatocellular carcinomas. This protein could serve as a tumor-associated antigen for immunotherapy purpose. The aim of our work was to analyze the presence of AFP-specific T cell populations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from cirrhotic patients with or without hepatocellular carcinoma. Using peptide-major histocompatibility complex class I multimers, AFP-specific populations corresponding to 3 previously described human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*0201 major histocompatibility complex class I epitopes (AFP137, AFP158, and AFP325) were sorted magnetically from CD8 positive cells without prior stimulation with the target antigen. T cell populations specific for 1 peptide (AFP158) were frequent, whereas populations corresponding to peptide AFP137 were rare and absent for peptide AFP325. We also isolated and fully characterized T cell clones specific for AFP137 and AFP158 peptides. We show that these clones can be used to monitor dendritic cell loading with peptides and could be useful for future immunotherapy protocols.
authors.affiliation: INSERM CIC 04, CHU Hotel Dieu, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pichard
authors.forename: Pierre Joseph
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Royer
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richou
authors.forename: Estelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cauchin
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goebes
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaignerie
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Masliah
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gournay
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gregoire
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferry
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D006801:Humans; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D037182:T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015234:HLA-A Antigens; C435939:HLA-A*02:01 antigen; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D010455:Peptides; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins