title: Determining tissue origin of circulating epithelial cells (CEC) in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer by real-time PCR using thyroid mRNA probes.
abstract: The aim of this study is to determine whether circulating epithelial cells (CEC) detected in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) stem from the thyroid gland. CEC have been described to increase in patients with progressive cancer disease and thus have been used as a marker of tumour cell dissemination. CEC were selected from venous blood samples of five DTC patients and analysis of thyroid-specific mRNA (i.e. Tg, TSH-R, TPO, NIS) was performed on a single cell level. 16/48 cells were positive for at least three different thyroid-mRNA transcripts, predominantly found in patients with detectable serum thyroglobulin. In conclusion, evidence was found that in patients with detectable serum thyroglobulin, most of the CECs originate from the thyroid gland. However, further investigations including a larger sample size are needed to validate the clinical impact of this method.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstraße 18, 07743 Jena, Germany; Clinic of Internal Medicine II, Division of Haematology and Internal Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, 07737 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sorg
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Internal Medicine II, Division of Haematology and Internal Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, 07737 Jena, Germany; Transfusionsmedizinisches Zentrum Bayreuth, 95448 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pachmann
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Internal Medicine II, Division of Haematology and Internal Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, 07737 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Katya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brede-Hekimian
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstraße 18, 07743 Jena, Germany. Electronic address: martin.freesmeyer@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freesmeyer
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstraße 18, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Winkens
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D027981:Symporters / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000099209:Sodium-Iodide Symporters
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001324:Autoantigens; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D027981:Symporters; D000099209:Sodium-Iodide Symporters; C499379:EPCAM protein, human; C056658:TPO protein, human
keywords: CTC; Circulating tumour cells; EpCAM; TSH-R; Tg; mRNA