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CD8⁺ T cells Reactive to Survivin Antigen in Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Authors' Affiliations: ¹ Department of Hematology and Oncology, ² Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany, and ³ National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland

Requests for reprints: Matthias Grube, Department of Hematology and Oncology, University of Regensburg, Franz-Josef Strauß, Allee 11, 93042 Regensburg. Phone: 49-941-944-5501; Fax: 49-941-944-5511; E-mail: matthias.grube{at}klinik.uni-regensburg.de.

Purpose: Survivin is a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis family and is overexpressed in different types of malignancies. Cytotoxic T cells recognizing survivin epitopes can be elicited in vitro and by vaccination in patients with leukemia, breast cancer, and melanoma. We did this study to investigate whether survivin-specific CD8⁺ T cells occur in patients with multiple myeloma.

Experimental Design: An HLA-A2.1–binding survivin peptide was used to detect peptide-specific T cells by a quantitative real-time PCR to measure antigen-specific IFN- mRNA expression in 23 patients with myeloma and 21 healthy volunteers. T cells producing IFN- in response to survivin were further analyzed for expression of CD45RA and CCR7 to determine phenotypic characterization. Additional immunohistochemical analyses of survivin antigen expression in bone marrow specimens of patients was done.

Results: T cells recognizing HLA-A2.1–binding survivin peptide were detected in 9 of 23 patients and in 1 of 21 healthy volunteers. Survivin-reactive T cells were identified as terminally differentiated effector T cells (CD8⁺, CD45RA⁺, and CCR7^–). Positive survivin expression of myeloma cells in bone marrow specimens was shown in 7 of 11 patients.

Conclusion: We provide, for the first time, evidence of T cell reactivity against survivin antigen in patients with multiple myeloma. Our data suggest the immunogenicity of survivin antigen in multiple myeloma and that immunotherapeutic strategies using survivin as a target antigen might be an option for patients with this disease.

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