title: Kinesin family member 20A is a novel melanoma-associated antigen.
abstract: It has been shown recently that immunotherapy for advanced melanoma is effective. However, in order to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy, the identification of more specific melanoma-associated antigens is urgently needed. Kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A) has been reported to be a promising immunotherapeutic target for pancreatic cancer. To investigate the expression of KIF20A in melanoma, we performed quantitative reverse transcript (RT)-PCR and western blotting analyses of melanoma cell lines. We also investigated primary melanomas and naevus tissues with immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR. KIF20A expression was detected in 59% of melanomas and 12% of naevi by immunohisto-chemistry, and 64% of melanomas and 60% of naevi by real-time RT-PCR. The primary melanomas that were positive for KIF20A showed a significantly greater thickness than those that were negative, and patients with KIF20A+ melanoma tended to develop recurrence earlier. These results suggest that immunotherapy with KIF20A may be a novel treatment option for advanced melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jinnin
authors.forename: Noritoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Katunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masuguchi
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Hironobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ihn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016547:Kinesins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009506:Nevus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C410089:KIF20A protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016547:Kinesins