The detection of prostate cells by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in the circulation of patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether prostate cells are disseminated into the circulation of patients after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), as assessed by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for prostate specific antigen (PSA) mRNA.


METHODS
Fifty-one patients, comprising 34 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 17 with prostate cancer who were undergoing routine TURP, had blood samples taken before and 30 min after surgery. The blood mononuclear cell layer was isolated by density-gradient centrifugation and total RNA extracted. Complementary DNA was synthesized by RT of the RNA. The target PSA sequence was amplified by PCR with specific PSA primers and the product detected on agarose-gel electrophoresis with ethidium bromide staining.


RESULTS
Five patients (all with prostate cancer) were positive on PSA RT-PCR before surgery and remained positive after TURP. Of the remaining 46 patients, five (11%; three with BPH and two with cancer) changed from a negative to a positive result after TURP.


CONCLUSIONS
In a proportion of patients TURP causes the dissemination of prostate cells into the circulation which are then detectable by RT-PCR of PSA mRNA.
Heung
Y M
YM
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
Walsh
K
K
Sriprasad
S
S
Mulvin
D
D
Sherwood
R A
RA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate / Q000379:methods*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen