Anti-tyrosinase-related protein-2 immune response in vitiligo patients and melanoma patients receiving active-specific immunotherapy.

Abstract

Several melanosome glycoproteins have been shown to be antigenic in humans. Correlation of antigen-specific immune responses in patients with the autoimmune disease vitiligo, therapy-induced hypopigmentation, and cutaneous melanoma has not been well studied. We examined antibody responses to a melanocyte autoantigen, tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2), as it is highly expressed in cutaneous melanoma and melanocytes. TRP-2 recombinant protein was synthesized for western blot and affinity anti-TRP-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We demonstrated that patients with malignant melanoma, vitiligo, and active-specific immunotherapy-induced depigmentation had significant anti-TRP-2 IgG titers. The highest level of anti-TRP-2 IgG response was found in vitiligo patients. Induction and enhancement of anti-TRP-2 IgG responses were observed in melanoma patients treated with a polyvalent melanoma cell vaccine containing TRP-2. Active-specific immunotherapy could induce and/or augment the TRP-2 IgG antibody titers. Melanoma patients who developed hypopigmentation and had improved survival after polyvalent melanoma cell vaccine had significantly augmented anti-TRP-2 antibody responses compared with patients with poor prognosis. This study demonstrates that TRP-2 autoantigen is immunogenic in humans. TRP-2 antibody responses provide a linkage between autoimmune responses by vitiligo patients and melanoma patients responding to immunotherapy who have induced hypopigmentation.

• Authors: T Okamoto, R F Irie, S Fujii, S K Huang, A J Nizze, D L Morton, D S Hoon
• Journal: The Journal of investigative dermatology (J Invest Dermatol) Vol. 111 Issue 6 Pg. 1034-9 (Dec 1998) ISSN: 0022-202X [Print] United States
• PMID: 9856813 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Antibodies
• Antigens, Neoplasm
• RNA, Messenger
• Intramolecular Oxidoreductases
• dopachrome isomerase

Topics

• Antibodies (blood)
• Antibody Formation
• Antigens, Neoplasm (immunology)
• Blotting, Western
• Humans
• Immunotherapy, Active
• Intramolecular Oxidoreductases (genetics, immunology)
• Melanoma (blood, immunology, therapy)
• Pigmentation Disorders (complications, therapy)
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured
• Vitiligo (blood, immunology, therapy)