Detection of carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA in peritoneal washes from gastric cancer patients and its clinical significance.
OBJECTIVE
To establish a more sensitive method for detection of free cancer cells in peritoneal washes from gastric cancer patients during surgery and to evaluate its clinical significance.


METHODS
The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA levels in peritoneal washes from 65 cases of gastric cancer were detected by real-time RT-PCR. Peritoneal lavage cytology (PLC) was applied simultaneously to detection of free cancer cells.Negative controls included peritoneal washes from 5 cases of benign gastric disease and blood samples from 5 adult healthy volunteers.


RESULTS
There was no CEA mRNA in peritoneal washes from benign gastric disease patients and in blood of adult healthy volunteers. The positive percentage of free cancer cells detected by real-time RT-PCR was 47.7% and only 12.3% by PLC. The positive rate of CEA mRNA was significantly related with serosa invasion between peritoneal metastasis and stage of gastric cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Real-time RT-PCR is a sensitive and rapid method for the detection of free cancer cells in peritoneal washes. The presence of free cancer cells in peritoneal washes is related to the pathologic stage of gastric cancer.
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, China.
Yan-Song
YS
Zhang
Jun
J
Xu
Guang-Hua
GH
Luo
Rong-Chao
RC
Wang
Jiang
J
Zhu
Xiao-Ying
XY
Zhang
Peter
P
Nilsson-Ehle
Ning
N
Xu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger