Molecular detection of peripheral blood breast cancer mRNA transcripts as a surrogate biomarker for circulating tumor cells.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are becoming a scientifically recognized indicator of primary tumors and/or metastasis. These cells can now be accurately detected and characterized as the result of technological advances. We analyzed the presence of CTCs in the peripheral blood of patients with metastatic breast cancer by real-time reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) using a panel of selected genes. The analysis of a single marker, without an EpCAM based enrichment approach, allowed the positive identification of 35% of the metastatic breast cancer patients. The analysis of five genes (SCGB2, TFF1, TFF3, Muc1, KRT20) performed in all the samples increased the detection to 61%. We describe a sensitive, reproducible and easy to implement approach to characterize CTC in patients with metastasic breast cancer.
Genetics Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and CIBERER U705, Barcelona, Spain.
Adriana
A
Lasa
Arnal
A
Garcia
Carmen
C
Alonso
Pilar
P
Millet
Mónica
M
Cornet
Teresa
T
Ramón y Cajal
Montserrat
M
Baiget
Agusti
A
Barnadas
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm