title: Evaluation of the reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction for carcinoembryonic antigen for the detection of breast cancer dissemination in bone marrow and peripheral blood.
abstract: This study evaluated the specificity and sensitivity of the reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for identification of breast tumour cells in bone marrow and in peripheral blood. Using one primer set from the A2/B3 domains of CEA with five to seven mismatches to other CEA-family members allowed reproducible detection of 1 colon tumour cell and 10 breast tumour cells in 10(7) mononuclear cells. Bone marrow samples from 181 patients with breast cancer were analysed by CEA-RT-PCR; 50 of these samples were analysed in parallel by routine immunocytochemistry. CEA-mRNA-positive bone marrow cells were found in 27.6% of the patients (50/181) with breast cancer. Five immunocytochemistry-positive samples were negative when analysed by CEA-RT-PCR. Limiting factors in the detection of micrometastatic breast tumour cells by CEA-RT-PCR are the heterogeneity of the tumour cells and the deficient expression of CEA in some of these cells. However, CEA-RT-PCR using the specific primer could detect 1 colon tumour cell in 1 x 10(7) normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany. Zhong@ubaclu.unibas.ch
authors.forename: X Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaul
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eichler
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bastert
mesh_terms: D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger