Lung cancer metastatic cells detected in blood by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and dot-blot analysis.

Abstract

The RT-PCR dot-blot analysis of CEA mRNA in blood cells seems to be a promising tool for the early detection of micrometastatic circulating cells in patients with lung cancer.

Detection of circulating tumor cells in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer using RT-PCR and its clinical implications

“…Interestingly, two patients turned into positive result developed an early relapse or multiple distant metastases one or two months later, respectively. Similar cases were reported in lung cancer, in which the patients with positive CEA mRNA without metastasis, developed metastasis within 6 months of analysis (Castaldo et al, 1997). Long-term follow-up data on gastrointestinal tract cancer, however, has not yet been available, and it is, therefore, uncertain whether the presence of circulating tumor cells reliably indicates poor prognosis.…”

“…Interestingly, there have been some reports suggesting the correlation between positivity for CEA mRNA in the peripheral blood and subsequent relapse, e.g., three of 4 positive patients with far-advanced pancreatic carcinoma developed recurrence after curative operation or liver metastasis after mass-reducing operation within 9 months after the analysis (Funaki et al, 1996), two of 4 positive patients without the evidence of distant metastasis developed metastasis within a few months (Castaldo et al, 1997). Also in our previous study, one patients with stage III gastric cancer who was negative for CEA mRNA initially and turned positive during follow-up, developed multiple bone metastasis one month later.…”

Unreliability of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in detecting contaminating breast cancer cells in peripheral blood stem cells due to induction of CEA by growth factors

“…CEA RT-PCR has been used for detection of micrometastases in gastro-intestinal, 13,16,17,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] breast [13][14][15][16][17][18] and lung 38 cancers. Specificity of the PCR protocol was tested on different healthy control tissues: peripheral blood, 16,17 bone marrow 13 and lymph nodes.…”

Application of differential display to identify genes for lung cancer detection in peripheral blood

“…1,2 Currently no accepted markers exist for early detection. According to previous studies of lung cancer, CEA was detected in 50% 21 or 60% of patients, 4 cytokeratin 19 in 39% of patients 22 and prepro GRP in 30%. 20 Syndecan 1 (CD 138) is a cell surface transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan.…”

“…More recently, it has been suggested that the RT-PCR method is more rapid and sensitive. 4,21,29,30 PCR methods have been reported for the detection of CEA, 21 CK19, 31 preprogrowth hormone receptor 20 and MUC1 32 from blood samples of lung cancer patients.…”