Expression in childhood primary brain tumors of NY-ESO-1, a cancer/testis antigen: an immunohistochemical study.
BACKGROUND
NY-ESO-1 is a human gene that codes for antigens that are expressed in malignancies of various histological types, but not in normal tissues, except the testes. The expression of NY-ESO-1 in intracranial brain tumors including astrocytomas (ASTRs) and medulloblastomas (MEDs)/primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) was examined since the expression of NY-ESO-1 has only previously been explored in depth in neuroblastomas.


METHODS
During our immunohistochemical study, a sensitive, four-step, alkaline phosphatase-conjugated antigen detection technique was employed. The expression of NY-ESO-1 was thereby examined in 6 cases of MED/PNET and 14 cases of ASTR.


RESULTS
All 6 MED/PNET cases demonstrated high levels of immunoreactivity (overexpression) with the highest immunostaining intensity grades A and B. In the astrocytic tumors of various subtypes examined, the level of NY-ESO-1 expression was not as strong as that in MEDs/PNETs. However, there was a significant increase in expression level when comparing low-grade pilocytic ASTRs to high-grade anaplastic ASTRs and glioblastomas.


CONCLUSIONS
As evidenced by our results, NY-ESO-1 overexpression increases as the malignancy grade of the astrocytic tumors increases. These data suggest that antigen-directed immunotherapy of primary brain tumors could target cancer/testis antigens (CTAs), especially those expressed at higher frequency such as NY-ESO-1.
Bodey
Bela
B
Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Bodey18@aol.com
Bodey
Vivian
V
Siegel
Stuart E
SE
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins