Circulating tumor cells and aberrant methylation as tumor markers in patients with esophageal cancer.
BACKGROUND
This study was designed to compare the detection rates of conventional tumor markers with two molecular diagnostic approaches on blood samples from patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer.


METHODS
Preoperative blood samples were obtained from 44 esophageal cancer patients and were subjected to CEA-specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) assay for p16, E-cadherin and RARbeta genes.


RESULTS
Circulating tumor cells were detected in 12 patients (27%); 14 patients (32%) had aberrant methylation in the promoter region of at least one gene (6, 4 and 4 patients, for p16, E-cadherin and RARbeta, respectively). No abnormality was detected by either assay in control plasmas. Altogether, 23 patients (53%) had a positive result in either molecular assay. There was no correlation between either assay result and those of conventional serum markers.


CONCLUSIONS
The RT-PCR and MSP assays can serve as complementary markers for screening and monitoring esophageal cancer patients.
Ikoma
Daito
D
Division of Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachihirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan.
Ichikawa
Daisuke
D
Ueda
Yuji
Y
Tani
Nobuyuki
N
Tomita
Haruhisa
H
Sai
Soujin
S
Kikuchi
Shojiro
S
Fujiwara
Hitoshi
H
Otsuji
Eigo
E
Yamagishi
Hisakazu
H
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; C082925:retinoic acid receptor beta