Expression of MAGE 3 Gene Products in Uterine Cervical Carcinoma / 대한산부인과학회잡지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The human MAGE 3 gene encodes tumor specific antigens that are recognized by autologue cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). The MAGE 3 gene is expressed not only in melanoma but in the other malignant tumors as well. There is, however, little information on the expression of the gene in uterine cervical carcinomas. The author thus studied the expression of the MAGE 3 gene products in uterine cervical carcinoma and discuss the possibility of specific immunologic diagnosis using MAGE 3 gene products. METHODS: The expression of MAGE 3 gene product in 17 normal tissues of the cervix, 32 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (8 CIN I, 10 CIN II, 14 CIS), and 43 invasive cervical carcinomas was studied by immunohistochemistry using anti-MAGE 3 mAb 57B in paraffin sections RESULTS: No expression of MAGE 3 gene product was detected in normal cervical tissues and in cervical intraepithelial neoplasias. The expression of MAGE 3 gene product was detected in 30.2% (13/43) of invasive cervical carcinomas. The MAGE 3 gene product was stained as a cytoplasmic protein in cancer cells. No statistically significant differences were observed between MAGE 3 gene product expression status and clinicopathologic parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The MAGE 3 gene products was expressed in invasive cervical carcinoma tissues.