Diagnostic value of cancer-testis antigen mRNA in peripheral blood from hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the diagnostic value of cancer-testis antigen (CTA) mRNA in peripheral blood samples from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.


METHODS
Peripheral blood samples were taken from 90 patients with HCC before operation. Expression of melanoma antigen-1 (MAGE-1), synovial sarcoma X breakpoint-1 (SSX-1), and cancer-testis-associated protein of 11 kDa (CTp11) mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was tested by nested reverse transcripts-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in these patients was also determined.


RESULTS
The positive rate of MAGE-1, SSX-1 and CTp11 transcripts was 37.7%, 34.4%, 31.1% in PBMC samples, and 74.4%, 73.3%, 62.2% in their resected tumor samples, respectively. The positive rate for at least one of the transcripts of three CTA genes was 66.7% in PBMC samples and 91.1% in their resected tumor samples. MAGE-1, SSX-1 and/or CTp11 mRNA were not detected in the PBMC of those patients from whom the resected tumor samples were MAGE-1, SSX-1 and/or CTp11 mRNA negative, nor in the PBMC samples from 20 healthy donors and 10 cirrhotic patients. Among the 90 patients, the serum AFP in 44 patients met the general diagnostic standard (AFP > 400 microg/L) for HCC, and was negative (AFP < or = 20 microg/L) or positive with a low concentration (20 microg/L < AFP < or = 400 microg/L) in the other patients. The positive rate for at least one of the transcripts of three CTA genes in PBMC samples from the AFP negative or positive patients with a low concentration was 69.2% and 45.0%, respectively. Of the 90 patients, 71 (78.9%) were diagnosed as HCC by nested RT-PCR and serum AFP. Although the positive rate for at least one of the transcripts of three CTA genes in PBMC samples from 53 patients at TNM stage III or IV was obviously higher than that in PBMC samples from 37 patients at stage I or II (77.9% vs 51.4%, P = 0.010), the CTA mRNA was detected in 41.7% and 56.0% of PBMC samples from HCC patients at stages I and II, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Detecting MAGE-1, SSX-1 and CTp11 mRNA in PBMC improves the total diagnostic rate of HCC.
Zhao
Li
L
Center of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
Mou
Dong-Cheng
DC
Peng
Ji-Run
JR
Huang
Lei
L
Wu
Zeng-An
ZA
Leng
Xi-Sheng
XS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins