Autoantibodies against GLEA2 and PHF3 in glioblastoma: tumor-associated autoantibodies correlated with prolonged survival.

Using serological identification of recombinantly expressed tumor antigens (SEREX), we identified several autoantibodies against glioma-expressed antigens including GLEA1, GLEA2 and PHD-finger protein3 (PHF3). Analysing sera of 62 glioblastoma patients, we found an antibody response against GLEA1 in 15 sera (24.2%), against GLEA2 in 30 sera (48.4%) and against PHF3 in 35 sera (56.5%). Relating patient survival to the occurrence of autoantibodies against either GLEA1, GLEA2 or PHF3, we found a significant prolonged survival for glioblastoma patients positive for autoantibodies against GLEA2 (p = 0.0115) and PHF3 (p = 0.0031), respectively. The median survival of patients with GLEA2 antibodies was increased to 17.4 months and for patients with PHF3 antibodies to 14.7 months, as compared to 7.2 months for patients without GLEA2 or PHF3 antibodies. There was no significant correlation between patient survival and GLEA1-autoantibodies (p = 0.1611). Herein we present autoantibodies that are: (i) most frequent in glioblastoma patients; (ii) specific for glioblastoma-associated antigens; and (iii) significantly correlated with prolonged survival in patients with glioblastoma.