Novel ganglioside antigen identified by B cells in human medullary breast carcinomas: the proof of principle concerning the tumor-infiltrating B lymphocytes

J Immunol. 2005 Aug 15;175(4):2278-85. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.175.4.2278.

Abstract

The potential tumor-recognizing capacity of B cells infiltrating human breast carcinoma is an important aspect of breast cancer biology. As an experimental system, we used human medullary breast carcinoma because of its heavy B lymphocytic infiltration paralleled to a relatively better prognosis. Ig-rearranged V region V(H)-J(H), Vkappa-Jkappa, and Vlambda-Jlambda genes, amplified by RT-PCR of the infiltrating B cells, were cloned, sequenced, and subjected to a comparative DNA analysis. A combinatorial single-chain variable fragment Ab minilibrary was constructed out of randomly selected V(H) and Vkappa clones and tested for binding activity. Our data analysis revealed that some of the V(H)-J(H), Vkappa-Jkappa, and Vlambda-Jlambda region sequences were being assigned to clusters with oligoclonal predominance, while other characteristics of the Ab repertoire were defined also. A tumor-restricted binder clone could be selected out of the single-chain variable fragment kappa minilibrary tested against membrane fractions of primary breast tumor cells and tumor cell lines, the V(H) of which proved to be the overexpressed V(H)3-1 cluster. The specific binding was confirmed by FACS analysis with primary breast carcinoma cells and MDA-MB 231 cell line. ELISA and thin layer chromatography dot-blot experiments showed this target Ag to be a ganglioside D3 (GD3). Our results are a proof of principle about the capacity of B cells infiltrating breast carcinomas to reveal key cancer-related Ags, such as the GD3. GD3-specific Abs may influence tumor cell progression and could be used for further development of diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology*
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / metabolism
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / pathology
  • Binding Sites, Antibody / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • COS Cells
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / chemistry
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / immunology
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / chemistry
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / immunology*
  • Carcinoma, Medullary / pathology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Clone Cells
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gangliosides / chemistry*
  • Gangliosides / immunology*
  • Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain
  • Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Light Chain
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / chemistry
  • Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin Joining Region / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin Joining Region / isolation & purification
  • Immunoglobulin Variable Region / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin Variable Region / isolation & purification
  • Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / isolation & purification
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / immunology*
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / pathology
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Peptide Library
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Gangliosides
  • Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments
  • Immunoglobulin Joining Region
  • Immunoglobulin Variable Region
  • Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains
  • Peptide Library
  • ganglioside, GD3