High level
microsatellite instability (MSI-H) occurs in about 15% of
colorectal cancer (
CRCs), either as sporadic
cancers or in the context of hereditary non-polyposis
cancer or
Lynch syndrome. In MSI-H CRC,
mismatch repair deficiency leads to insertion/deletion mutations at coding microsatellites and thus to the translation of frameshift
peptides (FSPs). FSPs are potent inductors of T cell responses in vitro and in vivo. The present study aims at the identification of FSP-specific humoral immune responses in MSI-H CRC and
Lynch syndrome. Sera from patients with history of MSI-H CRC (n = 69), healthy
Lynch syndrome mutation carriers (n = 31) and healthy controls (n = 52) were analyzed for
antibodies against FSPs using
peptide ELISA. Reactivities were measured against FSPs derived from genes frequently mutated in MSI-H
CRCs, AIM2,
TGFBR2, CASP5, TAF1B, ZNF294, and MARCKS. Antibody reactivity against FSPs was significantly higher in MSI-H CRC patients than in healthy controls (P = 0.036, Mann-Whitney) and highest in patients with shortest interval between
tumor resection and serum sampling. Humoral immune responses in patients were most frequently directed against FSPs derived from mutated TAF1B (11.6%, 8/69) and
TGFBR2 (10.1%, 7/69). Low level FSP-specific
antibodies were also detected in healthy mutation carriers. Our results show that antibody responses against FSPs are detectable in MSI-H CRC patients and healthy
Lynch syndrome mutation carriers. Based on the high number of defined FSP
antigens, measuring FSP-specific humoral immune responses is a highly promising tool for future diagnostic application in MSI-H
cancer patients.