title: Molecular detection of tumour DNA in serum and peritoneal fluid from ovarian cancer patients.
abstract: We have analysed DNA extracted from the serum and peritoneal fluid of 20 ovarian cancer patients for the presence of tumour-specific genetic alterations. The 20 patients included six with stage Ia disease. Using six polymorphic microsatellite loci we were able to detect novel alleles or loss of heterozygosity in 17/20 serum samples and 12/19 peritoneal fluid samples. Tumour-specific abnormalities were detected in the serum of all but one of the stage Ia cases. Half of the occurrences of loss of heterozygosity identified in primary tumour material were detectable in the serum samples. Novel alleles indicative of microsatellite instability were found in 3/6 patients with stage Ia disease but in only 1/14 of patients with more advanced disease. One of the eight patients in the control group displayed abnormalities in her serum DNA. The ease with which tumour-specific alterations were detected in serum and peritoneal samples from ovarian cancer patients, using a panel of only six polymorphic microsatellite markers on four chromosomes, suggests that molecular detection methods could prove useful in the staging, monitoring and screening of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Leeds General Infirmary, UK.
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Jepps
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Andrew
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Buxton
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Burns
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D005819:Genetic Markers