Molecular monitoring of organ recipients from cancer-affected donors by detection of circulating tumor cells.
We have initiated regular molecular monitoring based on nested RT-PCR detection of circulating tumor cells for monitoring recipients of organs from cancer-affected donors in Italy (in the context of a "Donation Safety and Donated Organ Quality" project organized by the Centro Nazionale Trapianti). Five patients are being monitored. For two patients who each received a kidney from a single donor with prostate adenocarcinoma, RT-PCR was performed using PSA mRNA. For three recipients of organs (two livers and one kidney) from donors with renal cell carcinoma, RT-PCR was performed using cytokeratine 18 and 19 mRNA. Blood samples from five healthy subjects were used as negative controls. After a median monitoring time of 26 months (range 8 to 32), none of the regular 3-month assays has tested positive. This pilot study suggests that detection of circulating tumor cells by nested RT-PCR may provide a feasible molecular monitoring, which might assist decision making regarding other forms of clinical surveillance.
Gabusi
E
E
Molecular and Transplantation Pathology Laboratory of the "F. Addarii" Institute of Oncology, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Corti
B
B
D'Errico
A
A
Ridolfi
L
L
Ercolani
G
G
Venettoni
S
S
Nanni Costa
A
A
Costa
A N
AN
Grigioni
W F
WF
D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000473:pathology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014019:Tissue Donors
D017931:DNA Primers