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Expression of MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A3 genes in human salivary gland carcinomas
Jianhua Liu1, Guohua Wang, Tadashi Okutomi
1Department of Stomatology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China. timliu@mail.hz.zj.cn
Objective:
To determine at the mRNA level whether the MAGE-A1 and -A3 genes are expressed in cancer cell lines from salivary glands and relevant clinical carcinomas, and thus to distinguish cancerous tissues from normal tissues and benign tumors in salivary glands.
Methods:
The expression of the MEGE-A1 and MEGE-A3 genes at the mRNA level was determined by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 2 cell lines of human adenoid cyst carcinomas (ACC-2 and ACC-M), in 18 malignant tumors and 9 benign salivary gland tumors, and in 10 samples of normal salivary gland tissues.
Results:
Both MAGE-A1 and -A3 genes were expressed in ACC-2 and ACC-M cell lines. None of the 9 benign tumors or the 10 normal tissue samples of salivary glands expressed the genes. The MAGE-A1 and -A3 genes were expressed in 9 (50%) and 11 (61%) of 18 salivary gland carcinomas, respectively, and at least 1 of the 2 genes was expressed in 14 (78%) of them. Of the 18 salivary gland carcinomas, 6 low-differentiated carcinomas (33%) expressed both genes, whereas 4 high-differentiated carcinomas (22%) expressed neither gene.
Conclusions:
The MAGE-A1 and -A3 genes can be expressed in cancer cell lines of salivary glands and relevant clinical carcinomas in addition to other malignant tumors of various histological origins. The results suggest the possibility of immunotherapy against salivary gland carcinomas by using MAGE-gene-encoded products as target antigens for tumor-rejection.