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NY-ESO-1 expression and its serum immunoreactivity in esophageal cancer

Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology volume 54, pages 95–100 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

NY-ESO-1, a member of the cancer/testis antigen (CTA) family, elicits humoral and cellular immune responses in patients with advanced cancer. Unresectable or metastatic esophageal carcinoma patients do not benefit from the present multimodality treatment regimens in terms of survival. The objectives of this study were to analyze the antibody response to NY-ESO-1 antigen in patients with esophageal cancer and to determine the potential of NY-ESO-1 for use in tumor-specific immunotherapy.

Methods

Serum from 69 patients with esophageal cancer was investigated for antibody production against NY-ESO-1 by Western blot analysis. Also analyzed by immunohistochemistry were 56 tissue samples from these patients for NY-ESO-1 protein expression.

Results

NY-ESO-1 protein expression was found in 18 of 56 (32%) esophageal carcinomas. Serum immunoreactivity specific for NY-ESO-1 was found in 9 patients (13%) of whom 8 were in the advanced stage (stages III and IV). There was no relationship between clinicopathologic features and serum immunoreactivity for NY-ESO-1. NY-ESO-1 protein expression was detected in three of five antibody-positive patients whose tissue was available for analysis. Survival analysis showed no significant difference between antibody-positive and antibody-negative patient groups.

Conclusions

A humoral immune response to NY-ESO-1 antigen was established in patients with advanced esophageal cancer. NY-ESO-1 is a good candidate for vaccine-based immunotherapy for advanced esophageal carcinoma.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mr. T. Hatano for excellent technical assistance. They also thank Dr. Y. Nanjo, Graduate School of Science and Technology, for expertise in the biochemical analysis of NY-ESO-1, and Professor M. Igarashi, Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, for permission to use their laboratory facilities.

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Affiliations

  1. Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 951-8510, Niigata, Japan

    Argun Akcakanat, Tatsuo Kanda, Yu Koyama, Shintarou Komukai, Satoru Nakagawa & Katsuyoshi Hatakeyama

  2. Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan

    Michitoshi Watanabe & Hiroshi Fujii

  3. Division of Microscopic Anatomy and Bio-imaging, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan

    Eiji Kimura

  4. Department of Structural Pathology, Institute of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan

    Yutaka Yoshida

  5. Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan

    Shoji Odani

Authors
  1. Argun Akcakanat
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  2. Tatsuo Kanda
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  3. Yu Koyama
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  4. Michitoshi Watanabe
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  6. Yutaka Yoshida
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  7. Shintarou Komukai
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  8. Satoru Nakagawa
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  9. Shoji Odani
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  10. Hiroshi Fujii
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  11. Katsuyoshi Hatakeyama
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Correspondence to Tatsuo Kanda.

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Akcakanat, A., Kanda, T., Koyama, Y. et al. NY-ESO-1 expression and its serum immunoreactivity in esophageal cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 54, 95–100 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-004-0768-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-004-0768-3

Keywords

  • Esophageal cancer
  • Tumor antigens
  • NY-ESO-1
  • Humoral immunity