title: Molecular monitoring of organ recipients from cancer-affected donors by detection of circulating tumor cells.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Transplantation Pathology Laboratory of the "F. Addarii" Institute of Oncology, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gabusi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Corti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Errico
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ridolfi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ercolani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Venettoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nanni Costa
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Grigioni
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers