Autoantibodies identified that may help predict lung cancer

A novel screening approach may help diagnose lung cancer before the onset of signs and symptoms.

A blinded validation study was conducted by researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, to determine the utility of screening for autoantibodies to defined antigens in the early diagnosis of lung cancer.

According to the study, the researchers performed extensive fractionation on proteins from lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 lysates, resulting in 1,824 fractions which were spotted in duplicate on nitrocellulose-coated slides. In a blinded validation study, the microarrays were used to determine whether annexin I, PGP9.5 and 14-3-3 theta antigens were associated with autoantibodies in presymptomatic sera.

Individual sera were collected from 85 subjects within a year prior to a lung cancer diagnosis, matched with controls from the CARET cohort and hybridized to individual microarrays.

The researchers reported evidence of autoantibodies to annexin I, 14-3-3 theta and LAMR1, a novel lung cancer antigen, in lung cancer sera prior to symptoms and diagnosis.

Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that screening for autoantibodies to defined antigens may help diagnose lung cancer prior to signs and symptoms.

J Clin Oncol. 2008; doi:10.1200/JCO.2008.16.2388