title: Clinical significance of immunohistochemical expression of cancer/testis tumor-associated antigens (MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3/4, NY-ESO-1) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper deals with the clinical significance of the immunohistochemical expression of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3/4 and NY-ESO-1 antigens in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 80 patients with NSCLC (40 with adenocarcinoma, 40 with squamous cell carcinoma) who had undergone surgery. MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A3/4 antigen expression was determined by an immunohistochemical method using the monoclonal antibody 57B, and NY-ESO-1 antigen expression was determined with the addition of the B9.8.1.1 antibody. The expression of these antigens was compared with the clinicopathological features of the tumors and the survival of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3/4 and NY-ESO-1 were expressed in 17.3%, 44.4% and 18.5% of NSCLC patients, respectively. A statistically higher immunohistological expression rate of MAGE-A3/4 was found in squamous cell carcinoma (P <0.001) and a significantly higher amount of tumor necrosis was observed in tumors with MAGE-3 expression (P = 0.001), but no correlation with positive lymph nodes was found. There was a statistically significant correlation between MAGE-A1 expression in adenocarcinoma and the presence of tumor necrosis (P = 0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between NY-ESO-1 expression and positive lymph nodes in adenocarcinoma, but not in squamous cell carcinoma. No statistically significant difference in patient survival was found with regard to tumor type and the observed histopathological characteristics except tumor size. Statistically significantly better survival was found in the group of patients with adenocarcinomas who had positive expression of MAGE-A3/4 (P = 0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that the expression of MAGE-A3/4 antigen might be a valuable prognostic factor regarding survival in patients with NSCLC.
authors.forename: Josip Joachim
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Grah
authors.forename: Darko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Katalinic
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Juretic
authors.forename: Fedor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santek
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Samarzija
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; C072011:MAGEA1 protein, human; C072013:MAGEA3 protein, human; C095204:MAGEA4 protein, human; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins