[Analysis of circulating lung cancer cells in the peripheral blood in patients with lung cancer by flow cytometry].
BACKGROUND
To analyze circulating lung cancer cells in the peripheral blood in patients with lung cancer by flow cytometry (FCM).


METHODS
The monocyte fraction in peripheral blood was isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation. The cells obtained were labeled with antibodies against CD45, cytokeratin (CK) and antigen (2F7/S5A). The CD45(-) CK(+) 2F7/S5A(+) cells were analyzed by FCM.


RESULTS
Fifty cases out of 165 patients with lung cancer (30.30%) were found to have cancer cells in the peripheral blood. Positive rate in non-small cell lung cancer was 30.67%(45/150) and that in small cell lung cancer was 33.33%(5/15) respectively. Meanwhile, there was distinct correlation between detective rate of cancer cells in the peripheral blood and pathological stage(P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Examination of lung cancer presented in the peripheral blood by FCM might be helpful for staging and finding metastatic potential of lung cancer.
Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Thoracic Tumors, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai 200030, P.R.China.
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H
Sha
X
X
Jiang
W
W
Gu
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G
Bao
J
J
Feng
Q
Q
Dong