Recognition of naturally processed and ovarian cancer reactive CD8+ T cell epitopes within a promiscuous HLA class II T-helper region of NY-ESO-1

Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2008 Aug;57(8):1185-95. doi: 10.1007/s00262-008-0450-4. Epub 2008 Feb 6.

Abstract

NY-ESO-1 is frequently expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and elicits spontaneous humoral and cellular immune responses in a proportion of EOC patients. The identification of NY-ESO-1 peptide epitopes with dual HLA-class I and class II specificities might be useful in vaccination strategies for generating cognate CD4+ T cell help to augment CD8+ T cell responses. Here, we describe two novel NY-ESO-1-derived MHC class I epitopes from EOC patients with spontaneous humoral immune response to NY-ESO-1. CD8+ T cells derived from NY-ESO-1 seropositive EOC patients were presensitized with a recombinant adenovirus encoding NY-ESO-1or pooled overlapping peptides. These epitopes, ESO127-136 presented by HLA-A68 molecule, and ESO127-135 restricted by HLA-Cw15 allele, are located within ESO119-143, a promiscuous HLA-class II region containing epitopes that bind to multiple HLA-DR alleles. The novel epitopes were naturally processed by APC or naturally presented by tumor cell lines. In addition, these epitopes induced NY-ESO-1-specific CTL in NY-ESO-1 seropositive EOC patients. Together, the results indicate that ESO119-143 epitope has dual HLA classes I and II specificities, and represents a potential vaccine candidate in a large number of cancer patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antigen Presentation*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / immunology
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / surgery
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / immunology*

Substances

  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class II