title: Capture of viable circulating tumor cells in the liver of colorectal cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence and number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients are lower than in other cancer types, which may point to a particular biology of colorectal cancer affecting CTC detection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We detected CTCs in the peripheral and mesenteric blood of colorectal cancer patients by use of 2 independent technologies on the basis of different biological properties of colon cancer cells. Seventy-five patients diagnosed with localized (M0, n = 60) and metastatic (M1, n = 15) colorectal cancer were included. Peripheral and mesenteric blood samples were collected before tumor resection. We performed CTC enumeration with an EpCAM-independent enrichment method followed by the Epispot assay that detected only viable CK19-releasing CTCs. In parallel, we used the FDA-cleared EpCAM-dependent CellSearch® as the reference method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The enumeration of CK19-releasing cells by the CK19-Epispot assay revealed viable CTCs in 27 of 41 (65.9%) and 41 of 74 (55.4%) (P = 0.04) patients in mesenteric and peripheral blood, respectively, whereas CellSearch detected CTCs in 19 of 34 (55.9%) and 20 of 69 (29.0%) (P = 0.0046) patients. In mesenteric blood, medians of 4 (range 0-247) and 2.7 CTCs (range 0-286) were found with Epispot and CellSearch (P = 0.2), respectively, whereas in peripheral blood, Epispot and CellSearch detected a median of 1.2 (range 0-92) and 0 CTCs (range 0-147) (P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A considerable portion of viable CTCs detectable by the Epispot assay are trapped in the liver as the first filter organ in CRC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Saint-Eloi Hospital, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Denève
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Riethdorf
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nocca
authors.forename: Amandine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coffy
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Daurès
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maudelonde
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fabre
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pantel
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alix-Panabières
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology