title: Detection of epidermal growth factor receptor mRNA in peripheral blood of cervical cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been reported to be expressed by immunohistochemistry in invasive cervical cancers. We evaluated the feasibility of detecting EGFR mRNA by EGFR-based reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in peripheral blood of patients with cervical cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of EGFR mRNA, cytokeratin (CK)-19 mRNA, and CK-20 mRNA was examined by RT-PCR in 12 human cervical cancer cell lines. All 12 cell lines expressed both EGFR mRNA and CK-19 mRNA, but only 4 of 12 (33.3%) cell lines expressed CK-20 mRNA. Peripheral blood samples from 20 healthy donors and 45 cervical cancer patients were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In peripheral blood from 20 healthy donors, neither EGFR mRNA nor CK-20 mRNA was expressed, but CK-19 mRNA was expressed in 13 of 20 (65%). In contrast, EGFR mRNA was expressed in 12 of 45 (26.7%) patients with cervical cancer (P = 0.0071, 2 test, patient vs control). On the other hand, expression of EGFR was observed in 98% of tumor tissues by immunohistochemistry. CK-19 mRNA and CK-20 mRNA were found in 35 of 45 (77.8%) and 0 of 45 (0%) patients, respectively (NS, chi(2) test, patient vs control). The rate of detection of EGFR mRNA in peripheral blood correlated with FIGO stage (P = 0.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both CK-19 mRNA and CK-20 mRNA showed no diagnostic value as markers of circulating tumor cells in cervical cancers. However, EGFR mRNA in blood might be a useful marker of circulating tumor cells in cervical cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. antira@mx10.ttcn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitsuhashi
authors.forename: Naotake
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kiyomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuka
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Katsuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: Souei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sekiya
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D066246:ErbB Receptors