title: Detection of mammaglogin A in blood from breast cancer patients, before and after treatment, using a one-tube nested PCR protocol. Association with the absence of tumor estrogen receptors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A one-tube nested RT-PCR protocol was set up and used to detect mammaglobin A (MGA) expression in blood samples from breast cancer patients. The correlation of MGA detection with prognostic factors was analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total RNA from nucleated blood cells was extracted from 65 breast cancer patients (before surgery and after the treatments) and 18 healthy subjects and used to detect MGA expression by a modified nested RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MGA expression was detected in 38.4% of patients before surgery, and in 50% and 36.8% of post-treatment samples from patients that expressed MGA or were MGA negative before surgery, respectively. MGA detection was associated with the absence of tumor estrogen receptors (p=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MGA detection by the modified nested RT-PCR is a specific marker for circulating tumor cells in patients with breast carcinoma and a negative prognostic factor for the disease.
authors.affiliation: Area of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, National University of Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: María P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ceballos
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zumoffen
authors.forename: Estefanía
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.forename: Germán
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cipulli
authors.forename: Carlos Capitaine
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Funes
authors.forename: Alfonso Benitez
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tozzini
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghersevich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D060785:Mammaglobin A / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D060785:Mammaglobin A; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen