Assessing blood platelets as RNA biomarker source for prostate cancer.
BACKGROUND
Blood platelets may offer as RNA biomarker source for cancer as recently described for an oncogenic transcript in glioma patients and for PCA3 in prostate cancer (PCa) patients.


OBJECTIVE
Here, we elaborated on this aspect for PCa.


METHODS
PCA3 and other PCa-associated RNA markers were measured in platelets of PCa patients (cases) and healthy subjects (controls) in comparison to PCa cell lines by relative quantitative RT-PCR.


RESULTS
The RNA markers displayed heterogeneous expression patterns in cell lines and platelets, however, without significant differences between cases and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The data do not support platelets as a profitable RNA source for early detection of PCa. Nonetheless, certain PCa-derived RNA markers in platelets may merit further investigation as potential prognostic biomarkers for PCa.
a Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, Philipps- University Marburg , Marburg , Germany ;
Jörg
J
Hänze
a Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, Philipps- University Marburg , Marburg , Germany ;
Peter
P
Jakubowski
a Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, Philipps- University Marburg , Marburg , Germany ;
Hendrik
H
Heers
a Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, Philipps- University Marburg , Marburg , Germany ;
Axel
A
Hegele
b Institute for Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Philipps-University Marburg , Marburg , Germany.
Nina
N
Timmesfeld
a Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, Philipps- University Marburg , Marburg , Germany ;
Rainer
R
Hofmann
a Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, Philipps- University Marburg , Marburg , Germany ;
Peter J
PJ
Olbert
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001792:Blood Platelets; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012313:RNA; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C479341:prostate cancer antigen 3, human; D012313:RNA
Biomaterial; PCA3; thrombocyte