Aneuploid circulating tumor endothelial cells (CTECs) affect the detection of CTC, but they are fundamentally different

Abstract

Background Aneuploidy is an important criterion for tumor cell identification. Like CTCs (circulating tumor cells), many CTECs (circulating tumor endothelial cells) have chromosomal aneuploidy. Affected by tumor microenvironment and detection method, the only identification index CD31 may not be comprehensive enough, which greatly affects the accuracy of CTCs detection. Methods Here, we explored the number distribution, expression of surface tumor markers and chromosome ploidy differences of aneuploid CTECs and CTCs in a total of 98 peripheral blood from normal volunteers, benign nodules and lung cancer patients, trying to find the differences between the two and the clinical significance of CTEC. Results We found that CTCs were mainly dominated by triploid and hyperploid (pentaploid or above), The former was mainly small CTCs, and the latter was mainly large CTCs. While the aneuploid CTECs were mostly large tetraploid cells. Combined detection of total CTC and CTEC numbers helped identify benign and malignant nodules. Furthermore, tetraploid CTC and CTEC had more obvious advantages than other ploids in identifying benign and malignant nodules. Conclusions Our findings indicated that the traditional method of distinguishing tumor and non-tumor cells by aneuploidy was not accurate. The presence of aneuploidy CTECs greatly interfered with the detection of CTCs, but they were different form CTC in cell size, chromosome ploidy distribution and had certain clinical significance. Combining CTC and CTEC had better diagnostic advantages

Diagnostic Value of the Circulating Tumor Cells and Circulating Tumor-Derived Endothelial Cells Detection for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

“…Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference in CTCs and CTECs levels between the lung benign disease group and the healthy group. CTCs and CTECs levels of NSCLC patients was significantly higher than that of benign lung diseases and healthy group, which is consistent with previous studies [13,14,43]. Among the patients with different pathological types of NSCLC in this study, there was no statistically significant difference between pathological types, which is consistent with previous studies [13,44].…”

“…Surprisingly, between healthy and lung benign disease group, significant differences were found not only in the number of cells but also in the proportion of karyotypes in CTCs or CTECs. As for the source of non-hematologic aneuploid cells in the peripheral blood in normal people, some research suggested that occasional CD31+ aneuploid circulating endothelial cells in the blood of normal people are mainly from stromal cell trans-differentiation or cell aging, which is unrelated to tumor and can be cleared by the body's immune system [43]. But why did these non-hematologic aneuploid cells in the peripheral blood increased, when suffered benign lung disease such as pulmonary nodules, remains further research.…”