Frequent expression of the novel cancer testis antigen MAGE-C2/CT-10 in hepatocellular carcinoma

✍ Scribed by Marc-Oliver Riener; Peter J. Wild; Christopher Soll; Alexander Knuth; Boquan Jin; Achim Jungbluth; Claus Hellerbrand; Pierre-Alain Clavien; Holger Moch; Wolfram Jochum

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 357 KB
• Volume: 124
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.23966

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Cancer testis (CT) antigens are attractive targets for immunotherapy in cancer patients. Immunohistochemistry was used to study the expression of the CT antigens MAGE‐C2/CT‐10, MAGE‐C1/CT‐7, GAGE, MAGE‐A4 and NY‐ESO‐1 in 146 hepatocellular carcinomas, 13 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas, 37 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas and 32 gallbladder carcinomas. Immunopositivity was correlated with clinicopathological parameters, MHC Class 1 expression, intratumoral CD4^+^, CD8^+^ and FOXP3^+^ T cells and CD163^+^ antigen‐presenting cells. Of the 146 hepatocellular carcinomas, 34% were positive for MAGE‐C2/CT‐10, 12% for MAGE‐C1/CT‐7, 11% for GAGE and 2% for NY‐ESO‐1, respectively. MHC Class 1 coexpression was identified in almost all CT antigen‐positive tumors. The number of intratumoral FOXP3^+^ regulatory T cells was increased in CT antigen‐positive hepatocellular carcinomas (p < 0.004), suggesting inhibition of immune response in such tumors. Furthermore, MAGE‐C1/CT‐7 and GAGE positivity was correlated with reduced overall survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (p = 0.03 and 0.01, respectively). Four (13%) gallbladder carcinomas stained positive for MAGE‐C2/CT‐10, of which 1 tumor (3%) was also positive for NY‐ESO‐1 and GAGE. CT antigens were not expressed in intra‐ and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas. Our results suggest that MAGE‐C2/CT‐10 may be a good candidate for peptide vaccination in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.