title: Expression of MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 predicts lymph node metastasis in melanoma patients.
abstract: MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 are members of the large MAGE family of cancer-testis (CT) antigens. CT antigens are promising targets for immunotherapy in cancer because their expression is restricted to cancer and germ line cells and a proportion of cancer patients presents with immune responses against CT antigens, which clearly demonstrates their immunogenicity. This study investigates the expression of MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 in primary and metastatic melanoma. Immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarrays that consisted of 59 primary malignant melanomas of the skin, 163 lymph node and distant melanoma metastases and 68 melanoma cell lines was performed. We found MAGE-C1/CT7 expression in 15 out of 50 (24%) primary melanomas and 15 out of 50 (24%) cell lines, whereas MAGE-C2/CT10 was detected in 17 out of 51 (33%) primary melanomas and 14 out of 68 (17%) cell lines. MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 were both detected in 40% of melanoma metastases. Patients with MAGE-C1/CT7 or MAGE-C2/CT10 positive primary melanoma had significantly more lymph node metastases (p = 0.005 and p<0.001, resp.). Prediction of lymph node metastasis by MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 was independent of tumor cell proliferation rate (Ki67 labeling index) in a multivariate analysis (p = 0.01). Our results suggest that the expression of MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 in primary melanoma is a potent predictor of sentinel lymph node metastasis.
authors: Division of Internal Medicine and Clinic of Oncology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. alessandra.curioni@usz.ch
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Curioni-Fontecedro
authors: Natko
authors: N
authors: Nuber
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Mihic-Probst
authors: Burkhardt
authors: B
authors: Seifert
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Soldini
authors: Reinhard
authors: R
authors: Dummer
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Knuth
authors: Maries
authors: M
authors: van den Broek
authors: Holger
authors: H
authors: Moch
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C110905:MAGEC1 protein, human; C405429:MAGEC2 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins