title: Expression of tumor-specific antigen MAGE, GAGE and BAGE in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To observe mRNA expression of tumor-specific antigen MAGE, BAGE and GAGE in epithelial ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines, to explore the relationship between gene expression and diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of ovarian cancer, and to evaluate the feasibility of their gene products as markers, and an immunotherapy target for ovarian cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  mRNA expression of MAGE-1, MAGE-3, GAGE-1/2 and BAGE were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 14 cases of normal ovarian tissue, 20 cases of ovarian benign tumor specimens, 41 cases of ovarian cancer specimens, and ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3, A2780, and COC1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MAGE, GAGE and BAGE genes were not expressed in normal ovarian tissue. In benign tumors, only the MAGE gene was expressed; the expression rate of this gene in benign tumors was 15% (3/20). In ovarian cancer tissues, MAGE-1 and MAGE-3 was highly expressed, with expression rates of 53.7% (22/41) and 36.6% (15/41), while GAGE-1/2 and BAGE had relatively low expression, with rates of 26.8% (11/41) and 14.6% (6/41). In metastatic lesions of ovarian cancer, only MAGE-1 and BAGE were expressed, with expression rates of 28.6% (2/7) and 14.3% (1/7). The positive expression rates of MAGE-1 and MAGE-3 in serous cystadenocarcinoma were significantly higher than that in other types of ovarian cancer (P < 0.05). Gene expression rate was not correlated with menopause or lymph node metastasis. Positive expression of MAGE-1 and MAGE-3 was positively correlated with tumor differentiation and the clinical stage of the ovarian cancer. In addition, the positive expression rate of BAGE was significantly higher in ovarian cancer patients with ascites (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression profiles of MAGE, GAGE and BAGE in ovarian carcinoma cell lines SKOV3, A2780 and COC1 varied, but there was at least one gene expressed in each cell line.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumor-specific antigen MAGE, BAGE and GAGE may play a role in the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer. These genes can be used as one of the important indicators for early diagnosis, efficacy evaluation and prognostic determination of ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: The State-Key Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Ji'nan 250012, China. zhangshiqian370112@126.com
authors.forename: Shiqian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaoliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yunhai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C092706:BAGE protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C095365:GAGE1 protein, human; C095366:GAGE2A protein, human; C072011:MAGEA1 protein, human; C072013:MAGEA3 protein, human; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger