Autoantibodies against the tumour-associated antigen GA733-2 in patients with colorectal carcinoma

The tumour-associated antigen (TAA) GA733-2 is expressed as a non-secreted surface molecule on the majority of human colorectal carcinoma cells. The antigen has been used as a target for passive and active immunotherapy during the last decade. To determine the incidence of autoantibodies against this antigen, sera from 1068 patients with colorectal carcinoma were analysed for naturally occurring IgG antibodies against the baculovirus-produced GA733-2E protein. A total of 14.5% of the patients had IgG antibodies against the antigen. In 519 patients, sera were collected at the time of diagnosis and 15% of those patients had anti-GA733-2E IgG antibodies. There was a tendency to a higher frequency of patients with antibodies among those in the advanced Dukes stages: 11% in stage A and 32% in stage D respectively (P = 0.06). Antibodies could be detected for up to 10 years after the diagnosis. Patients with Crohn's disease or colitis ulcerosa (n = 20) did not elicit anti-GA733-2E antibodies. No healthy control donor (n = 45) had detectable antibodies against the antigen. The specificity of GA733-2E-reactive serum IgG was indicated by significant inhibition of mAb17-1A (originally used to define GA733-2) binding to the GA733-2E antigen. Sera of positive patients bound to the GA733-2-expressing human colorectal carcinoma cell line, SW948. No significant correlation was found between the presence of antibodies and survival in the present patient population. However, the high incidence of autoantibodies against this tumour antigen in colorectal carcinoma patients confirms its antigenicity in humans and supports the use of the GA733-2 antigen as a target for immunotherapy.