title: Usefulness of transcription-reverse transcription concerted reaction method for detecting circulating tumor cells in patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The CellSearch system (Veridex, LLC) is useful for detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in various carcinomas, including colorectal cancer (CRC); however, there are some problems associated with its clinical use. A transcription-reverse transcription concerted reaction (TRC) method, which is a PCR-based technique producing more stable and reliable results, because it is a more simplified process compared with the conventional techniques, has been introduced for detecting micrometastasis in some carcinomas. We aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of TRC method in the CTC detection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the two methods for the sensitivity for CTC detection using the colon cancer cell line and 42 whole-blood samples from patients with advanced or metastatic CRC. Furthermore, 25 patients with metastatic CRC were enrolled to investigate the correlation between CTC detection and prognosis in both methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity of the TRC method was similar to that of the CellSearch system. The overall survival rate was significantly worse in the patients diagnosed as CTC-positive by the TRC method than in those diagnosed as CTC-negative; this finding was similar to the prognosis indicated by the CellSearch system. However, clinically, the TRC method could detect CTCs more rapidly and at a reduced cost compared with the CellSearch system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TRC method seems to be a useful alternative to the CellSearch system for clinically detecting CTCs in patients with metastatic CRC.
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors: Nobutaka
authors: N
authors: Sato
authors: Naoko
authors: N
authors: Hayashi
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Imamura
authors: Yohei
authors: Y
authors: Tanaka
authors: Koichi
authors: K
authors: Kinoshita
authors: Jyunji
authors: J
authors: Kurashige
authors: Seiya
authors: S
authors: Saito
authors: Ryuichi
authors: R
authors: Karashima
authors: Kotaro
authors: K
authors: Hirashima
authors: Yohei
authors: Y
authors: Nagai
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Miyamoto
authors: Masaaki
authors: M
authors: Iwatsuki
authors: Yoshifumi
authors: Y
authors: Baba
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Watanabe
authors: Hideo
authors: H
authors: Baba
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000235:genetics; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D061206:Neoplasm Micrometastasis; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger