title: NY-ESO-1-specific immunological pressure and escape in a patient with metastatic melanoma.
abstract: During cancer progression, malignant cells may evade immunosurveillance. However, evidence for immunological escape in humans is scarce. We report here the clinical course of a melanoma patient whose initial tumor was positive for the antigens NY-ESO-1, MAGE-C1, and Melan-A. Upon immunization with a recombinant vaccinia/fowlpox NY-ESO-1 construct, the patient experienced a mixed clinical response and spreading of the NY-ESO-1 epitopes in the CD4+ T cell compartment. After NY-ESO-1 protein + CpG immunization, the patient's anti-NY-ESO-1 IgG response increased. Over the following years, progressing lesions were resected and found to be NY-ESO-1-negative while being positive for MAGE-C1, Melan-A, and MHC-I. The fatal, inoperable brain metastasis was analyzed after his death and also proved to be NY-ESO-1-negative, while being positive for MAGE-C1 and Melan-A, as well as MHC-I. We propose that cancer control and cancer escape in this patient were governed by NY-ESO-1-specific immunological pressure. Our findings provide evidence for the existence of immunoediting and immunoescape in this cancer patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. lotta.vonboehmer@usz.ch
authors.forename: Lotta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Boehmer
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mattle
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.forename: Alexandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Landshammer
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Natko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nuber
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: Lloyd
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Old
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moch
authors.forename: Niklaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knuth
authors.forename: Maries
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van den Broek
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins
keywords: Cancer/Testis antigen; NY-ESO-1; escape; immunosurveillance; melanoma