title: A multimarker real-time RT-PCR for MAGE-A gene expression allows sensitive detection and quantification of the minimal systemic tumor load in patients with localized cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Distant metastases of solid tumors are usually associated with fatal outcome. Disseminated cancer cells are considered early indicators of metastasis. Their sensitive detection and quantification would be a valuable tool for staging of disease and as guidance for therapeutic decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We established a highly sensitive and quantitative multimarker real-time RT-PCR assay for amplification of cancer-related genes MAGE-A1, -A2, -A3/6, -A4, -A10 and -A12 using SYBR green I to detect one single tumor cell in 2 mL of blood or bone marrow. The feasibility of the assay was tested in a large cohort of 177 patients with locally confined prostate carcinoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis revealed frequent MAGE expression in venous blood and bilateral bone marrow samples (25.5% of all cases) and yielded the first quantitative profile of MAGE expression with a broad range of transcript concentrations for individual markers in the minimal systemic tumor load of patients with localized cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rare transcripts of different MAGE-A genes can be quantified in clinical samples of cancer patients by a sensitive multimarker real-time RT-PCR. Because of frequent expression of MAGE genes in various types of cancer the multimarker MAGE real-time RT-PCR may be generally useful for detection, quantification and characterization of the individual disseminated tumor load in cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. ingo.mecklenburg@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mecklenburg
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weckermann
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zippelius
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schoberth
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Prang
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riethmüller
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kufer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C119317:MAGE-A10 antigen; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm