Detection of messenger RNA for the beta-subunit of chorionic gonadotropin in urinary cells from patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
We studied whether detection of messenger-RNA (mRNA) for the beta-subunit of chorionic gonadotropin (CGbeta) in urinary cells from bladder cancer patients could be used as a marker of disease activity. Sixty-eight urine samples from patients under follow-up for bladder cancer and 23 samples from patients with other malignancies and non-malignant surgical conditions, as well as 14 samples from healthy controls were analyzed. RNA was isolated from urinary cells collected by centrifugation. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect CGbeta mRNA. The results were compared to those obtained by cystoscopy and urinary cytology. For comparison, we determined CG and CGbeta in serum and urine and the core fragment of CGbeta (CGbeta cf) in urine by immunofluorometric assays. CGbeta mRNA was detected in 29 of 68 urine samples from patients with a history of bladder cancer, whereas all 14 samples from healthy controls tested negative. Elevated levels of CGbeta were observed in serum in 18 of 45 bladder cancer patients, but the association with CGbeta mRNA was weak. However, CGbeta mRNA expression in the absence of detectable cancer also occurred in some conditions associated with cellular atypia such as urinary tract infection, instrumentation and certain therapies. There was a highly significant association between histologically verified transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and CGbeta mRNA in urine (p = 0.0014), implying CGbeta mRNA expression in tumor tissue. We conclude that CGbeta mRNA is a potential new marker for monitoring of bladder cancer. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether it provides independent clinical information.
Hotakainen
K
K
Department of Clinical Chemistry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland. kristina.hotakainen@helsinki.fi
Lintula
S
S
Stenman
J
J
Rintala
E
E
Lindell
O
O
Stenman
U H
UH
D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine*; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000652:urine*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine*
D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D012333:RNA, Messenger