Cancer-testis antigen expression in triple-negative breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
cancer-testis (CT) antigens, frequently expressed in human germline cells but not in somatic tissues, may become aberrantly reexpressed in different cancer types. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of CT antigens in breast cancer.


METHODS
a total of 100 selected invasive breast cancers, including 50 estrogen receptor (ER) positive/HER2 negative and 50 triple negative (TN), were examined for NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-A expression by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
a significantly higher expression of MAGE-A and NY-ESO-1 was detected in TN breast cancers compared with ER-positive tumors (P = 0.04). MAGE-A expression was detected in 13 (26%) TN cancers compared with 5 (10%) ER-positive tumors (P = 0.07). NY-ESO-1 expression was confirmed in nine (18%) TN tumor samples compared with two (4%) ER-positive tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
MAGE-A and NY-ESO-1 CT antigens are expressed in a substantial proportion of TN breast cancers. Because of the limited therapeutic options for this group of patients, CT antigen-based vaccines might prove to be useful for patients with this phenotype of breast cancer.
Curigliano
G
G
Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology. Electronic address: giuseppe.curigliano@ieo.it.
Viale
G
G
Division of Pathology, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia; University of Milan School of Medicine, Milano, Italy.
Ghioni
M
M
Division of Pathology, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia; University of Milan School of Medicine, Milano, Italy.
Jungbluth
A A
AA
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, New York Branch at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Bagnardi
V
V
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia; Department of Statistics, University of Milan Bicocca, Milano, Italy.
Spagnoli
G C
GC
Institute of Surgical Research and Hospital Management, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
Neville
A M
AM
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA.
Nolè
F
F
Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology.
Rotmensz
N
N
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia.
Goldhirsch
A
A
Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology.
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; C072011:MAGEA1 protein, human