title: Expression of MAGE-A and NY-ESO-1 cancer/testis antigens in medullary breast cancer: retrospective immunohistochemical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To immunohistochemically evaluate the expression of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A, and NY-ESO-1 cancer/testis (C/T) tumor antigens in medullary breast cancer (MBC) tumor samples and to analyze it in relation to the clinicopathological features.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study included samples from 49 patients: 40 with typical MBC and 9 with atypical MBC. Tumor specimens were obtained from patients operated on in the University Hospital for Tumors and the Sisters of Mercy University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia, from 1999 to 2005. Standard immunohistochemistry was used on archival paraffin-embedded MBC tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MAGE-A1, MAGE-A, and NY-ESO-1 antigens were expressed in 33% (16/49), 33% (16/49), and 22% (11/49) of patients, respectively. No difference between the groups with and without C/T tumor antigen expression in age at diagnosis, tumor size, axillary lymph node metastasis, adjuvant therapy, and HER-2 expression was identified. Significantly more patients died in the MAGE-A-positive group than in the MAGE-A-negative group (P=0.010), whereas a borderline significance was found between MAGE-A1-positive and the MAGE-A1-negative group (P=0.079) and between NY-ESO-1-positive and NY-ESO-1-negative group (P=0.117). Overall survival, as evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier curves, was lower in MAGE-A1- (P=0.031), MAGE-A- (P=0.004), NY-ESO-1-positive groups (P=0.077).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of C/T antigens may represent a marker of potential prognostic relevance in MBC.
authors.affiliation: Zagreb University Hospital Center, Department of Oncology, Kispatićeva 12, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Bozica
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Matković
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Juretić
authors.forename: Giulio C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Spagnoli
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Separović
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gamulin
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Separović
authors.forename: Nera
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sarić
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basić-Koretić
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Novosel
authors.forename: Bozo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kruslin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000941:Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000276:immunology*; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; C506530:MAGE-A1 protein (278-286), human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments