title: Cell-free serum DNA in patients with bladder cancer: results of a prospective multicenter study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cell-free DNA may serve as a biomarker for patients with cancer; we designed our study to determine its potential in patients with bladder cancer (BCA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Short β-actin (ACTB)-106 and large ACTB-384 fragments were quantified using real time PCR (RT-PCR); the ratio of ACTB-384/ACTB-106 was defined as DNA integrity. We analyzed the serum from 95 patients with and from 132 without BCA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with BCA had increased ACTB-106 levels and lower DNA integrity compared to patients without cancer. However, patients undergoing transurethral bladder resection (TURB) with histological exclusion of BCA had a similar ACTB-106 level and DNA integrity, as patients with BCA. Cell-free DNA was not correlated with smoker status, pT stage, grade or lymph node metastasis, or DNA integrity. There was a weak inverse correlation of age with DNA integrity in patients with BCA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analysis of serum cell-free DNA levels and fragmentation patterns are of limited value regarding the identification of patients with BCA.
authors: Department of Urology and Paediatric Urology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany. stefan.hauser@ukb.uni-bonn.de
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Hauser
authors: Monika
authors: M
authors: Kogej
authors: Guido
authors: G
authors: Fechner
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Von Ruecker
authors: Patrick J
authors: PJ
authors: Bastian
authors: Jochen
authors: J
authors: Von Pezold
authors: Roland
authors: R
authors: Vorreuther
authors: Gerd
authors: G
authors: Lümmen
authors: Stefan C
authors: SC
authors: Müller
authors: Jörg
authors: J
authors: Ellinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002474:Cell-Free System; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004247:DNA