Objective:Ourgrouphaspreviouslyobservedthatinpatientswithsmall-celllungcancers(SCLCs),theexpressionofatumorantigen,gliomabigpotassium(gBK)ionchannel,ishigheratthetimeofdeaththanwhenthecancerisfirsttreatedbysurgicalresection.Thisstudyaimedtodeterminewhetherthisdichotomywascommoninotherpotentiallungtumorantigensbyexaminingthesamepatientsamplesusingourmoreextensiveprofileanalysisoftumor-antigenprecursorprotein(TAPP).WethentestedthehypothesisthattherapeuticinterventionmayinadvertentlycausethisincreasedgBKproduction.Methods:SCLCsamples(eightsurgicalresectionsandthreeautopsysamples)andthreecontrollungswereexaminedbyquantitativereal-timepolymerasechainreactionfor42potentialTAPPsthatrepresentpotentialT-cell-mediatedimmunologicaltargets.Results:Twenty-twoTAPPmRNAsdisplayedthesameprofileasgBK,i.e.,moremRNAswereexpressedatautopsythanintheirsurgicalcounterparts.B-cyclinandmousedoubleminute2,humanhomologofP53-bindingproteinwereelevatedinbothautopsyandsurgicalspecimensabovethenormal-lungcontrols.WhenHTB119cellswereincubatedwithdoxorubicin,gBKwasstronglyinduced,asconfirmedbyintracellularflowcytometrywithagBK-specificantibody.Conclusion:Ourfindingssuggestedthatmoreimmunologicaltargetsbecameavailableasthetumorrespondedtochemotherapyandproceededtowarditsterminalstages.
