Detection of T lymphocytes specific for human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) in patients with seminoma. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) is distinctive among the retroviruses that comprise about 8% of the human genome in that multiple HERV-K proviruses encode full-length viral proteins, and many HERV-K proviruses formed during recent human evolution. HERV-K gag proteins are found in the cytoplasm of primary tumor cells of patients with seminoma. We identified HERV-K-specific T cells in patients with a past history of seminoma using the interferon-gamma ELISPOT assay and an MHC-HERV-K peptide-specific tetramer. A minority of apparently healthy subjects without evident germ cell tumors also made HERV-K-specific T cell responses. In summary, we detected T cell reactivity to HERV-K peptides in both past seminoma patients and a minority of apparently healthy controls.

publication date

  • January 1, 2006

Research

keywords

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Endogenous Retroviruses
  • Seminoma
  • T-Lymphocytes

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 32044461054

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1089/aid.2006.22.52

PubMed ID

  • 16438646

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 22

issue

  • 1