Quantitative detection of CEA expressing free tumor cells in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients during surgery with real-time RT-PCR on a LightCycler.
We applied novel real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with a LightCycler for quantitative detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA expressing tumor cells in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients. Analysis of peripheral blood samples from 99 potentially curative colorectal cancer patients revealed a significantly higher mean CEA mRNA value in post-operative bloods (18.71) than in pre-operative blood (1.03) (P=0.003). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated disease free survival of patients with positive CEA mRNA in post-operative blood to be significantly shorter than in cases negative for CEA mRNA (P=0.03). These results suggest that tumor cells could be shed into the bloodstream during surgical procedures, and these free tumor cells are accompanied by a poor patient outcome. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR is a useful technique for quantitative assessment of free tumor cells in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients.
Ito
Seiji
S
Division of Oncological Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, 1-1 Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku, Aichi, 464-8681, Nagoya, Japan.
Nakanishi
Hayao
H
Hirai
Takashi
T
Kato
Tomoyuki
T
Kodera
Yasuhiro
Y
Feng
Zhang
Z
Kasai
Yasushi
Y
Ito
Katsuki
K
Akiyama
Seiji
S
Nakao
Akimasa
A
Tatematsu
Masae
M
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger