title: Detection of Survivin-expressing circulating cancer cells in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients by a RT-PCR ELISA.
abstract: Survivin mRNA expression was detected in 69.2%-93.8% of primary breast carcinomas, but is rarely expressed in normal breast tissues and hematopoietic cells. The objective of this study was to investigate the significance that the detection of Survinin-expressing circulating breast cancer cells in the peripheral blood has on clinical outcomes. The detection method was based on a RT-PCR ELISA technique developed in our laboratory. Sixty-seven breast cancer patients in various stages and 135 normal healthy women were investigated. Survivin-expressing circulating cancer cells were detected in the peripheral blood samples from 34 (50.7%) out of 67 breast cancer patients, but not in the healthy women that were used as controls. The presence of Survivin-expressing circulating breast cancer cells was found to be significantly associated with various clinicopathological parameters such as vessel infiltration, histological grade, tumor size, nodal status, ER/PgR status, Her-2 status and clinical stages of the disease (P < 0.01). During a follow-up period of 36 months, 9 out of 11 (81.8%) breast cancer patients that had a positive Survivin-expressing at the time of the initial assay test suffered a relapse of the disease, whereas recurrence was only found in 2 out of 6 (33.3%) breast cancer patients that had a negative Survivin-expression. Thus, the detection of circulating cancer cells expressing Survivin mRNA could provide valuable information for the prediction of metastasis and recurrence of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Chengdu Bio-Engineering Institute for Cancer Research, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China. shangmian.yie@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shang-Mian
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Yie
authors.forename: Bie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Nai-Yao
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Shang-Rong
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004967:Estrogens; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008408:Mastectomy; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011374:Progesterone; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood*; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000077022:Survivin; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004967:Estrogens; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011374:Progesterone; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D000077022:Survivin; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human