Cytotoxic T-cell precursor frequencies to HER-2 (369 – 377) in patients with HER-2/neu-positive epithelial tumours
2003

T-cell Responses to HER-2/neu in Cancer Patients

Sample size: 50 publication 15 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Sotiropoulou P A, Perez S A, Iliopoulou E G, Missitzis I, Voelter V, Echner H, Baxevanis C N, Papamichail M

Primary Institution: Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Center, Saint Savas Cancer Hospital

Hypothesis

Can T-cell responses to the HER-2/neu peptide be detected in patients with various types of cancer?

Conclusion

The study found that a significant number of patients with HER-2/neu-positive tumors exhibited T-cell responses to the HER-2(9369) peptide.

Supporting Evidence

  • Patients with HER-2/neu-positive tumors showed increased T-cell precursor frequencies.
  • Immunization with HER-2 peptides led to detectable T-cell responses in some patients.
  • Responses varied significantly among patients with different HLA types.

Takeaway

Some cancer patients have special cells that can fight tumors by recognizing a part of a protein called HER-2/neu, which helps in developing vaccines.

Methodology

The study involved isolating peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients and assessing T-cell responses using ELISPOT assays.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the selection of patients and the methods used for measuring T-cell responses.

Limitations

The study had a limited number of patients with certain HLA types, which may affect the generalizability of the findings.

Participant Demographics

Patients included those with breast, ovarian, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers, with varying stages of disease.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/sj.bjc.6601244

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