Introduction:
We have previously established an association of MAGE-/NY-ESO-1 expression and poor prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients (pt). There is some evidence that TAA differ between HPV-negative (HPV-) and HPV-positive (HPV+) patients. Antibodies (AB) to tumor-associated antigens (TAA) may help to characterize the TAA repertoire in the tumor.
Methods:
AB to 29 auto-antigens and HPV-16 E6 were analyzed in serum and plasma samples of 410 HNSCC pt treated at different German cancer centers. As a surrogate marker, reactivity to HPV-16 E6 was used to define the HPV status. Statistical comparison of AB prevalence by HPV-status was performed using a Chi2 test corrected for multiple testing using the method of Benjamini, Krieger and Yekutieli with a false discovery rate of 10%.
Results:
Among 410 pt, 126 (31%) were reactive to HPV-16 E6. The five most frequent AB were directed against HPV-16 E6 (31%), MAGE-A3 (13%), SpanXa1 (12%), MAGE-A4 (11%) and MAGE-A1 (10%). In HPV-negative pt, AB against MAGE-A3, MAGE-A4, SpanXa1, LAGE-1a and NY-ESO-1 were detected in ≥10% of pt, whereas in HPV-positive pt AB against SpanXa1, CT-47 and MAGE-A1 were found in ≥10% of pt. Significant differences with regard to the prevalence of AB by HPV-status were detected for p53, MAGE-A3, -A4, -A9, LAGE-1a and NY-ESO-1 (p < 0.022).
Conclusions:
The prevalence of antigen-specific AB to TAA differed significantly by HPV-status. In the development of antigen-specific immunotherapy such as cancer vaccines, HPV status has to be acknowledged. Data analysis is ongoing.
