[Mammaglobin mRNA measurement in the detection of micrometastasis in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate mammanglobin (hMAM) mRNA as a marker for the detection of carcinoma cells by reverse transcriptase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients.


METHODS
Blood samples from 63 breast cancer patients obtained at various stages of their disease, blood samples from 8 breast hyperplasia, 5 breast adenofibroma, 25 other cancers (stomach, colon, esophagus, lung, ovary) and 31 healthy volunteers were screened for hMAM mRNA by a nested RT-PCR combined with fluorescence quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR) assay.


RESULTS
Among 63 breast carcinoma patients, 19(30.2%) were RT-PCR positive for hMAM mRNA which was elevated with the tumor stage. None of the other cancer patients or those suffering from benign breast diseases were positive but only 1 of the 31 healthy volunteers gave detectable hMAM mRNA findings. hMAM mRNA was not detectable in the peripheral blood after operation in 6(32%) of 19 patients whose pre-operative test had been positive even though the hMAM mRNA expression increased with tumor stage. These results did not correlate with patients' stage, estrogen or pregnant receptor status.


CONCLUSIONS
hMAM transcripts are detectable in the peripheral blood of some breast cancer patients. hMAM may be a novel candidate and a clinically useful breast tumor marker, especially in detecting micrometastasis.
Liu
N
N
Department of Abdominal Surgery, Cancer Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, China.
Zhang
W
W
Shao
Y
Y
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D060785:Mammaglobin A; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014598:Uteroglobin / Q000235:genetics*
D060785:Mammaglobin A; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C556448:SCGB2A2 protein, human; D014598:Uteroglobin