title: Characterization of cell-free circulating DNA in plasma in patients with prostate cancer.
abstract: Cell-free circulating DNA in plasma and serum may serve as a biomarker for malignant tumor detection and follow up in patients with a variety of solid tumors including prostate cancer. In healthy patients, DNA is normally released from an apoptotic source which generates small fragments of cell-free DNA, whereas cancer patients have cell-free circulating DNA that originated from necrosis, autophagy, or mitotic catastrophe. Cell-free circulating DNA levels were measured by a quantitative real-time PCR method with a set of primers targeted to amplify the consensus ALU apoptotic versus necrotic origin. Prostate cancer patients before and 3 months after diagnosis showed cell-free circulating DNA released at apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, all patients after 6 months demonstrated DNA released at non-apoptotic cell. The principal source of cell-free circulating DNA is of apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death. However, during treatment, this feature could change. Therefore, the study of cell-free circulating DNA would be important to follow the evolution of the disease during the treatment.
authors.affiliation: Oncology/Hematology Discipline, FMABC, Santo André, Sao Paulo, Brazil. pameladelgado@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Pâmela Oliveira
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: Beatriz Costa A
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Flávia de Sousa
authors.initials: Fde S
authors.lastname: Gehrke
authors.forename: Renata Kelly
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kuniyoshi
authors.forename: Marcelo Langer
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wroclavski
authors.forename: Auro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Giglio
authors.forename: Fernando Luiz Affonso
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Fonseca
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D011379:Prognosis; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004247:DNA