Dataset Information

Tumour antigen expression in hepatocellular carcinoma in a low-endemic western area.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Identification of tumour antigens is crucial for the development of vaccination strategies against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most studies come from eastern-Asia, where hepatitis-B is the main cause of HCC. However, tumour antigen expression is poorly studied in low-endemic, western areas where the aetiology of HCC differs.

Methods

We constructed tissue microarrays from resected HCC tissue of 133 patients. Expression of a comprehensive panel of cancer-testis (MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3/4, MAGE-A10, MAGE-C1, MAGE-C2, NY-ESO-1, SSX-2, sperm protein 17), onco-fetal (AFP, Glypican-3) and overexpressed tumour antigens (Annexin-A2, Wilms tumor-1, Survivin, Midkine, MUC-1) was determined by immunohistochemistry.

Results

A higher prevalence of MAGE antigens was observed in patients with hepatitis-B. Patients with expression of more tumour antigens in general had better HCC-specific survival (P=0.022). The four tumour antigens with high expression in HCC and no, or weak, expression in surrounding tumour-free-liver tissue, were Annexin-A2, GPC-3, MAGE-C1 and MAGE-C2, expressed in 90, 39, 17 and 20% of HCCs, respectively. Ninety-five percent of HCCs expressed at least one of these four tumour antigens. Interestingly, GPC-3 was associated with SALL-4 expression (P=0.001), an oncofetal transcription factor highly expressed in embryonal stem cells. SALL-4 and GPC-3 expression levels were correlated with vascular invasion, poor differentiation and higher AFP levels before surgery. Moreover, patients who co-expressed higher levels of both GPC-3 and SALL-4 had worse HCC-specific survival (P=0.018).

Conclusions

We describe a panel of four tumour antigens with excellent coverage and good tumour specificity in a western area, low-endemic for hepatitis-B. The association between GPC-3 and SALL-4 is a novel finding and suggests that GPC-3 targeting may specifically attack the tumour stem-cell compartment.

SUBMITTER: Sideras K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4580401 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Tumour antigen expression in hepatocellular carcinoma in a low-endemic western area.

Sideras K K Bots S J SJ Biermann K K Sprengers D D Polak W G WG IJzermans J N M JN de Man R A RA Pan Q Q Sleijfer S S Bruno M J MJ Kwekkeboom J J

British journal of cancer 20150601 12

<h4>Background</h4>Identification of tumour antigens is crucial for the development of vaccination strategies against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most studies come from eastern-Asia, where hepatitis-B is the main cause of HCC. However, tumour antigen expression is poorly studied in low-endemic, western areas where the aetiology of HCC differs.<h4>Methods</h4>We constructed tissue microarrays from resected HCC tissue of 133 patients. Expression of a comprehensive panel of cancer-testis (MAGE- ...[more]

PMID: 26057582

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Dataset Information

Tumour antigen expression in hepatocellular carcinoma in a low-endemic western area.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Tumour antigen expression in hepatocellular carcinoma in a low-endemic western area.

Similar Datasets

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