METHOD FOR IDENTIFICATION OF CELLULAR PROTEIN ANTIGENS AND PRESENCE OF ANTIBODIES TO SPECIFIC CELLULAR PROTEIN ANTIGENS IN SERUM

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for identification of cellularprotein antigens to which patients with cancer, or patients atrisk for cancer, may develop autoantibodies. The method of the inventioninvolves the use of patient derived sera for the identificationof the cellular protein antigens using two-dimensional gel electrophoresisfollowed by Western Blot analysis. The identification of suchprotein antigens provides novel markers that can be utilized for screening,for diagnostics and prognosis of disease. The invention alsoprovides for the use of the identified protein antigens in immunoassaysdesigned to detect the presence of serum antibodies to the specificprotein antigens in sera from individuals that may harbor such antibodies. Theinvention further relates to the use of the identified antigensas immunogens for stimulation of an immune response in patients expressingsuch protein antigens. The invention is demonstrated by wayof example in which elevated levels of circulating autoantibodies reactiveagainst a tumor specific antigen were identified in sera derivedfrom a lung cancer patient. In addition, elevated levels of circulatingautoantibodies reactive against several specific .beta.-tubulin isoformswere detected in the sera of neuroblastoma patients.