Comparative analysis of predicted HLA binding of immunoglobulin idiotype sequences indicates T cell-mediated immunosurveillance in follicular lymphoma.
Active immunization with the idiotype of follicular lymphoma induces tumor-specific immunity. T cells induced in vivo by idiotype vaccination recognize human leukocyte antigen (HLA)--restricted hypervariable but not conserved idiotype peptides. We hypothesized that idiotype-directed T-cell immunity occurs naturally and performed a reverse immunology analysis of idiotype HLA binding in 39 follicular lymphoma patients. For every idiotype, the sum of HLA-A or -B binding scores of the 20 highest-scoring peptides was calculated for all 39 HLA types through the BIMAS algorithm. The idiotype sum score of every patient's lymphoma was compared on the respective patient's HLA type to the mean of the sum scores of the remaining 38 idiotypes. Autologous idiotypes had lower immunogenicity than allogeneic idiotypes. Differential immunogenicity resided predominantly in all 3 complementarity-determining regions rather than in framework peptides. Idiotype immunogenicity was not changed by somatic hypermutation. These findings indicate T cell-mediated immunosurveillance of follicular lymphoma directed specifically against individual idiotype epitopes.
Department of Hematology/Oncology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Anna-Maria
AM
Strothmeyer
Dimitrios
D
Papaioannou
Marcus
M
Dühren-von Minden
Marcelo
M
Navarrete
Katja
K
Zirlik
Kristina
K
Heining-Mikesch
Hendrik
H
Veelken
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D000483:Alleles; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015166:Monitoring, Immunologic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011485:Protein Binding; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes