Cellular and humoral immune responses to a human pancreatic cancer antigen, coactosin-like protein, originally defined by the SEREX method.

Among a number of human tumor antigens identified using the serological analysis of recombinant cDNA expression libraries (SEREX), only MAGE-1, tyrosinase, and NY-ESO-1 have been reported to be immunogenic tumor antigens that have the potential to elicit both humoral and cellular immunity. In this study, we determined whether our SEREX-defined pancreatic cancer antigens could be recognized by CTL, and report that one SEREX-defined antigen, coactosin-like protein (CLP), encoded cellular epitopes recognized by HLA-A2-restricted and tumor-reactive CTL. Three CLP peptides at positions 15-24, 57-65, and 10-113 possessed the ability to induce HLA-A2-restricted and tumor-reactive CTL from the PBMC of cancer patients. Subsequently, humoral responses to these peptides were investigated. IgG antibodies specific to the CLP 15-24, 57-65, and 104-113 peptides were detected in sera from 12, 0, and 12 of 12 cancer patients tested, and were also found in 5, 0, and 0 of 9 healthy donors, respectively. IgE antibodies specific to these peptides were also detected in sera from certain cancer patients and healthy donors. Since peptide-specific IgE was detected, type-I allergy to these peptides was tested. Unexpectedly the CLP 57-65 peptide, to which IgE was found in only 2 healthy donors, but not the other two peptides, was found to elicit an immediate-type hypersensitivity in all 10 healthy volunteers tested. These results indicate that identical antigenic peptides can be recognized by both cellular and humoral immune systems to a tumor-associated antigen. The CLP 15-24 and 104-113 peptides might be appropriate vaccine candidates for peptide-based immunotherapy of HLA-A2(+) cancer patients.