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Immunological response induced by abagovomab as a maintenance therapy in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer: relationship with survival—a substudy of the MIMOSA trial

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Abstract

Purpose

To determine whether abagovomab induces protective immune responses in ovarian cancer patients in first clinical remission. The present analysis is a substudy of monoclonal antibody immunotherapy for malignancies of the ovary by subcutaneous abagovomab trial (NCT00418574).

Methods

The study included 129 patients, 91 in the abagovomab arm and 38 in the placebo arm. Circulating CA125-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) were measured by a flow cytometry-based interferon-γ producing assay. Human antimouse antibody and anti-anti-idiotypic (Ab3) were assessed by ELISA. Patients were evaluated before starting the treatment and at different time points during induction and maintenance phases.

Results

A similar percentage of patients in both the placebo and abagovomab arms had CA125-specific CTL (26.3 and 31.8 %, respectively; p = 0.673 by Fisher’s exact test). Patients with CA125-specific CTL in both arms tended to have an increased relapse-free survival (RFS, log-rank test p = 0.095) compared to patients without. Patients (n = 27) in the abagovomab arm without CA125-specific CTL but that developed Ab3 above the cutoff (defined as median Ab3 level at week 22) had a prolonged RFS compared to patients (n = 24) that did not develop Ab3 above the cutoff (log-rank test p = 0.019).

Conclusion

Abagovomab does not induce CA125-specific CTL. However, patients with CA125-specific CTL perform better than patients without, irrespective of abagovomab treatment. Abagovomab-induced Ab3 associate with prolonged RFS in patients without CA125-specific CTL. Further studies are needed to confirm these data and to assess the potential utility of these immunological findings as a tool for patient selection in clinical trial.

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Abbreviations

Ab3:

Anti-anti-idiotypic

Anti-Id:

Anti-idiotypic

CTL:

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes

ECD:

Proprietary name for Texas Red-conjugated phycoerythrin

FITC:

Fluorescein

HAMA:

Human antimouse antibody

IFN:

Interferon

mAb:

Monoclonal antibody

MIATA:

Minimal information about T cell assays

MIMOSA:

Monoclonal antibody immunotherapy for malignancies of the ovary by subcutaneous abagovomab

OC:

Ovarian cancer

PE:

Phycoerythrin

PeCy5:

Cy5-conjugated phycoerythrin

PMT:

Photomultiplier tube

RFS:

Relapse free survival

SEB:

Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B

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Acknowledgments

HAMA and Ab3 data were provided by Menarini Ricerche, Pomezia, Italy.

Conflict of interest

Part of reagents (e.g., mAbs, CA125, staining buffers, etc.) and disposables (plasticwares) have been provided by Menarini Ricerche, Pomezia, Italy. The authors declare they have no financial or other interest that is relevant to the subject matter under consideration in this article with Menarini Ricerche.

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Correspondence to Andrea Fattorossi.

Additional information

Marco Fossati and Alexia Buzzonetti have contributed equally to this work.

Andrea Fattorossi and Alessandra Battaglia are joint senior authors.

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Buzzonetti, A., Fossati, M., Catzola, V. et al. Immunological response induced by abagovomab as a maintenance therapy in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer: relationship with survival—a substudy of the MIMOSA trial. Cancer Immunol Immunother 63, 1037–1045 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-014-1569-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-014-1569-0

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