title: Combined analysis of serum alpha-fetoprotein and MAGE-A3-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in peripheral blood for diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: We investigated the feasibility of the combined detection of HLA-A2/MAGE-A3 epitope-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for specific diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We detected the frequency of MAGE-A3 epitopes (p112-120, KVAELVHFL) in spontaneous CTLs in the peripheral blood of HCC patients, liver cirrhosis patients, and healthy subjects with HLA-A2/polypeptide complex (pentamer) detection technology. Eighty-five HCC cases, 38 liver cirrhosis cases, and 50 healthy cases who were HLA-A2-positive were selected from 175 HCC patients, 80 patients with liver cirrhosis, and 105 healthy volunteers, respectively. The frequency of HLA-A2-specific MAGE-A3(+) CTLs in the HCC group was significantly higher than that in the other groups. Combined detection of MAGE-A3(+) CTL frequency and serum AFP value had a higher specificity than either of the two indicators alone. The pentamer technique is helpful in distinguishing benign lesions and malignant lesions in the liver. Combined with serum AFP, it can improve the diagnosis performance for HCC, especially for AFP-negative cancer.
authors.forename: Zhuqingqing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yuhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Shengmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wenxia
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Pengcheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jiye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jirun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000378:metabolism*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C072013:MAGEA3 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins