title: NY-ESO-1 cancer testis antigen demonstrates high immunogenicity in triple negative breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  NY-ESO-1 cancer testis (CT) antigen is an attractive candidate for immunotherapy as a result of its high immunogenicity. The aim of this study was to explore the potential for NY-ESO-1 antigen directed immunotherapy in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) by determining the frequency of expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the degree of inherent immunogenicity to NY-ESO-1.
  
  
  METHODS
  168 TNBC and 47 ER+/HER2- primary breast cancer specimens were used to determine NY-ESO-1 frequency by IHC. As previous studies have shown that patients with a robust innate humoral immune response to CT antigens are more likely to develop CD8 T-cell responses to NY-ESO-1 peptides, we evaluated the degree to which patients with NY-ESO-1 expression had inherent immunogenicity by measuring antibodies. The relationship between NY-ESO-1 expression and CD8+ T lymphocytes was also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of NY-ESO-1 expression in the TNBC cohort was 16% versus 2% in ER+/HER2- patients. A higher NY-ESO-1 score was associated with a younger age at diagnosis in the TNBC patients with NY-ESO-1 expression (p = 0.026). No differences in OS (p = 0.278) or PFS (p = 0.238) by NY-ESO-1 expression status were detected. Antibody responses to NY-ESO-1 were found in 73% of TNBC patients whose tumors were NY-ESO-1 positive. NY-ESO-1 positive patients had higher CD8 counts than negative patients (p = 0.018).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NY-ESO-1 is expressed in a substantial subset of TNBC patients and leads to a high humoral immune response in a large proportion of these individuals. Given these observations, patients with TNBC may benefit from targeted therapies directed against NY-ESO-1.
authors: Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, United States of America. foluso.ademuyiwa@roswellpark.org
authors: Foluso O
authors: FO
authors: Ademuyiwa
authors: Wiam
authors: W
authors: Bshara
authors: Kristopher
authors: K
authors: Attwood
authors: Carl
authors: C
authors: Morrison
authors: Stephen B
authors: SB
authors: Edge
authors: Adam R
authors: AR
authors: Karpf
authors: Smith A
authors: SA
authors: James
authors: Christine B
authors: CB
authors: Ambrosone
authors: Tracey L
authors: TL
authors: O'Connor
authors: Ellis G
authors: EG
authors: Levine
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: Miliotto
authors: Erika
authors: E
authors: Ritter
authors: Gerd
authors: G
authors: Ritter
authors: Sacha
authors: S
authors: Gnjatic
authors: Kunle
authors: K
authors: Odunsi
mesh_terms: D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human