Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0023473 (chronic myeloid leukemia)
 18,916 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recent studies in tumor immunology indicate that malignant cells frequently express normal testicular-specific proteins. Because these proteins show restricted normal tissue distribution, they are usually highly immunogenic and may be potential targets for immunotherapy. In the present study, we have used a pair of sequence-specific primers in reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequence analysis to demonstrate that the X-linked gene encoding SPAN-Xb is expressed in multiple myeloma and other hematologic malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). RT-PCR analysis demonstrates that SPAN-Xb is a cancer/testis antigen and shows a restricted normal tissue expression. It is not expressed in any normal tissue except testis. SPAN-Xb recombinant protein was produced and used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analysis. High-titer immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, of IgG3 or IgG2 subclass, against SPAN-Xb were detectable in the sera of these patients. In contrast, SPAN-Xb mRNA or antibodies could not be detected in any of the healthy donors. There was a good correlation between SPAN-Xb gene expression and B-cell immune responses. These results suggest the in vivo immunogenicity of the SPAN-Xb protein. The presence of high-titer IgG responses suggests that the B-cell responses are likely to have been generated with CD4 T-cell cognitive help. Based on these data, we conclude that SPAN-Xb is a novel member of the family of cancer/testis antigens aberrantly expressed by, and capable of inducing, immune responses in patients with multiple myeloma and other hematologic malignancies.
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PMID:Gene expression and immunologic consequence of SPAN-Xb in myeloma and other hematologic malignancies. 1239 89

Normal testicular-specific proteins are frequently aberrantly expressed by tumor cells. Based on this, we have investigated Semenogelin 1, a major protein of human semen coagulum thought to be highly specific to seminal vesicles, in leukemic cells. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Semenogelin 1 gene was frequently expressed in chronic myeloid leukemia (5 of 8, 62.5%) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (5 of 12, 41.7%) but rarely in multiple myeloma (2 of 30, 6.7%). The gene was not expressed in bone marrow or peripheral blood from healthy donors. Semenogelin 1 expression is normally confined to the testis, suggesting that it is a novel Cancer-Testis (CT) antigen. Translation of the mRNA to Semenogelin 1 protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis of tumor cell lysates and by immunocytochemistry. The recombinant Semenogelin 1 protein was used with a control Escherichia coli-derived recombinant protein in ELISA and Western blot analysis to show that high titer IgG antibodies against Semenogelin 1 were detected in some patients, suggesting the in vivo immunogenicity of the protein. Immune responses predicted gene expression by the leukemia cells. Semenogelin 1 was also frequently coexpressed with other CT antigens, Sperm protein 17 and SPAN-Xb. These results therefore indicate that Semenogelin 1 is a novel CT antigen capable of inducing B-cell responses in vivo in chronic leukemias.
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PMID:Pattern of gene expression and immune responses to Semenogelin 1 in chronic hematologic malignancies. 1459 13