Detection of breast cancer micrometastases in bone marrow using reverse-transcriptase chain reaction and southern hybridization

Thirty-flveto40%ofallpatientswithbreastcarcinoma,includingupt024%ofpatientswithn0evidence0fmetastasesatthetimeofdiagnosis,willrelapseafterprimarytherapy.l"']Themostreliableprognosticindicesofaxillarylymphnodestatusandsizeofprimarytumorcannotpredictinwh0mthediseasewillrecur.Bonemarrowisafrequentandreadilyaccessiblesiteofmetastases.Inup8O%ofpatients,therelaPsedevelopsstariingfrombonemarrowmetastasesats0mepointinthepr0cessoftheirillness.l3]Currentmethodstodetectboneinvolvement,suchasX-rayandbon…     

乳腺癌骨髓微转移状况与ER PR VEGF 及Cath-D等因子的关系

目的:检测乳腺癌骨髓组织CK19 mRNA的表达,判断骨髓微转移状况,探讨其与各因子的关系.方法:采用RT-PCR法(一步法)检测骨髓组织中CK19 mRNA表达;用免疫组化SP法检测乳腺癌组织中ER、PR、Cath-D、C-erbB-2及VEGF的表达.结果:102例乳腺癌患者骨髓组织CK19 mRNA表达阳性率56.9%.骨髓CK19 mRNA表达随乳腺癌组织中ER及PR蛋白表达增强而降低(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);随Cath-D、VEGF蛋白表达增强而呈增高趋势(P＜0.005,P＜0.05);但与C-erbB-2表达状况无关.结论:乳腺癌骨髓微转移与癌组织中某些生物学因子表达有关;这些因子决定癌细胞的生物学行为.     

Sequential immunochemotherapy and edrecolomab in the adjuvant therapy of breast cancer: reduction of 17-1A-positive disseminated tumour cells.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of the monoclonal antibody edrecolomab after chemo- and radiotherapy in the elimination of disseminated tumour cells in bone marrow in the adjuvant therapy of breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The bone marrow of 25 patients with breast cancer was tested for the presence of disseminated tumour cells using the pancytoceratine antibody and the alkaline phosphatase-anti-alkaline-phosphatase (APAAP) technique. To characterize tumour cells simultaneously, immunofluorescent double labelling of pancytoceratine and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (antibody 17-1A) was performed on tumour cells after magneto bead enrichment. Patients positive for the 17-1A antigen in bone marrow after chemotherapy were treated with edrecolomab (500 mg Panorex) initially, then 100 mg/month over 4 months) and investigated for the presence of micrometastases 6 weeks after the last treatment. RESULTS: Of the 17 patients showing bone marrow micrometastases (BM-MM), 14 tested 17-1A positive before adjuvant chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, nine patients remained positive for the 17-1A antigen and were treated with edrecolomab. The final investigation after immunotherapy showed a complete elimination of the 17-1A-positive BM-MM in seven patients and a significant reduction of these cells in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: Sequential treatment of breast cancer with edrecolomab after adjuvant chemotherapy can reduce disseminated tumour cells in the bone marrow and eliminate 17-1A-positive micrometastases.     

非小细胞肺癌患者外周血和骨髓中LUNX基因表达的临床意义

[目的]探讨非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）患者外周血和骨髓微转移的肺特异性X蛋白（LUNX）基因诊断的临床意义.[方法]应用荧光定量逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）技术,对42例肺癌患者和12例肺良性病变患者的外周血和骨髓中LUNX基因mRNA表达进行检测.[结果]42例肺癌患者有14例在外周血中检测到LUNX基因mRNA的表达,阳性表达率为33.3%,有10例在骨髓中检测到LUNX基因mRNA的表达,阳性表达率为23.8%.LUNX mRNA的表达与CK-19基因mRNA的表达率无显著性差异（P＞0.05）.外周血和骨髓微转移与肺癌组织学类型、细胞分化程度及TNM分期均存在密切关系（P＜0.05）.[结论]外周血和骨髓LUNX基因mRNA的表达是检测肺癌微转移的一个有价值的指标,为制定治疗方案和评估预后提供重要参考依据.     

早期乳腺癌血清VEGF水平与骨髓微转移的相关性及临床意义

目的 检测早期乳腺癌患者血清中VEGF及骨髓标本中CK19的表达水平,探讨二者的相互关系及临床意义.方法 应用ELISA法分别检测6例乳腺纤维腺瘤及64例乳腺癌患者血清中VEGF的水平,同时抽取相应的骨髓血标本,应用实时定量逆转录-聚合酶链反应(qRT-PCR)方法检测标本中CK-19的表达水平,并进行相关性分析.结果 VEGF在乳腺癌患者血清中的表达水平明显高于乳腺纤维腺瘤患者,二者差异显著(P=0.012);在HER2阳性患者中,血清VEGF水平明显高于HER2阴性患者(P=0.016).CK19在乳腺纤维腺瘤患者骨髓标本中未见表达,在乳腺癌患者骨髓血中,阳性表达24例(37.5%),而骨髓中CK19阳性的乳腺癌患者血清VEGF水平显著高于CK19阴性的患者(110.46±90.65 vs 70.88±77.13,P=0.038),且二者的表达呈正相关.结论 早期乳腺癌患者血清VEGF水平与骨髓微转移密切相关,提示VEGF可能参与了肿瘤细胞的侵袭和播散,可作为早期乳腺癌微转移的血清学指标.     

曲妥珠单抗对HER-2阳性早期乳腺癌骨髓微转移的影响

目的：检测HER-2阳性的早期乳腺癌患者应用曲妥珠单抗（Trastuzumab）治疗前后骨髓微转移的改变,探讨HER-2基因及Herceptin对骨髓微转移的影响。方法：应用实时定量逆转录-聚合酶链反应（qRT-PCR）方法检测15例HER-2阳性乳腺癌及18例HER-2阴性乳腺癌患者术前及化疗后骨髓CK19的表达水平,其中10例HER-2阳性乳腺癌患者在化疗结束后,继续应用Herceptin治疗,3月后再次抽取骨髓标本,qRT-PCR检测CK19的表达水平。结果：手术前,14例HER-2阳性乳腺癌患者骨髓CK19表达阳性（93.3%）,而HER-2阴性患者8例CK19表达阳性（44.4%）,二者差异显著（P=0.000）。化疗后,12例HER-2阳性乳腺癌患者CK19表达阳性（80.0%）,而HER-2阴性患者3例表达阳性（16.7%）,二者差异显著（P=0.000）。10例HER-2阳性乳腺癌患者化疗后继续应用Herceptin治疗3月后,骨髓CK19的表达明显下降（102.78±98.24 vs 66.92±49.18,P=0.036）。结论：HER-2基因的表达与早期乳腺癌患者骨髓微转移密切相关,而Herceptin可以降低骨髓微转移病灶,提示骨髓微转移情况可以作为Herceptin治疗疗效的早期预测指标。     

早期乳腺癌血清VEGF水平与骨髓微转移的相关性及临床意义

目的：检测早期乳腺癌患者血清中VEGF及骨髓标本中CK19的表达水平,探讨二者的相互关系及临床意义。方法：应用ELISA法分别检测6例乳腺纤维腺瘤及64例乳腺癌患者血清中VEGF的水平,同时抽取相应的骨髓血标本,应用实时定量逆转录-聚合酶链反应（qRT-PCR）方法检测标本中CK-19的表达水平,并进行相关性分析。结果：VEGF在乳腺癌患者血清中的表达水平明显高于乳腺纤维腺瘤患者,二者差异显著（P=0.012）;在HER2阳性患者中,血清VEGF水平明显高于HER2阴性患者（P=0.016）。CK19在乳腺纤维腺瘤患者骨髓标本中未见表达,在乳腺癌患者骨髓血中,阳性表达24例（37.5%）,而骨髓中CK19阳性的乳腺癌患者血清VEGF水平显著高于CK19阴性的患者（110.46±90.65 vs 70.88±77.13,P=0.038）,且二者的表达呈正相关。结论：早期乳腺癌患者血清VEGF水平与骨髓微转移密切相关,提示VEGF可能参与了肿瘤细胞的侵袭和播散,可作为早期乳腺癌微转移的血清学指标。     

应用RT-PCR检测乳腺癌患者外周血CK-19mRNA的临床意义

目的:探索取材于乳腺癌患者外周血诊断微转移的方法。方法:66例乳腺癌和37例乳腺良性疾病患者的外周血,分离其有核细胞后进行细胞总RNA的抽提,运用RT-PCR技术进行CK-19 mRNA的检测。结果:以RT-PCR终产物出现460bp条带定为阳性。66例乳腺癌患者CK-19mRNA有24例表达,总阳性率为36.36％。37例乳腺良性疾病者CK-19mRNA无一例表达。两组有统计学意义(x2=17.54,P<0.001)。结论:RT-PCR检测CK-19 mRNA可以用于临床诊断乳腺癌患者外周血中微转移。     

Independent prognostic value of angiogenesis and the level of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 in breast cancer patients

Tumour angiogenesis and the levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) are both informative prognostic markers in breast cancer. In cell cultures and in animal model systems, PAI-1 has a proangiogenic effect. To evaluate the interrelationship of angiogenesis and the PAI-1 level in breast cancer, we have evaluated the prognostic value of those factors in a total of 228 patients with primary, unilateral, invasive breast cancer, evaluated at a median follow-up time of 12 years. Microvessels were immunohistochemically stained by antibodies against CD34 and quantitated by the Chalkley counting technique. The levels of PAI-1 and its target proteinase uPA in tumour extracts were analysed by ELISA. The Chalkley count was not correlated with the levels of uPA or PAI-1. High values of uPA, PAI-1, and Chalkley count were all significantly correlated with a shorter recurrence-free survival and overall survival. In the multivariate analysis, the uPA level did not show independent prognostic impact for any of the analysed end points. In contrast, the risk of recurrence was independently and significantly predicted by both the PAI-1 level and the Chalkley count, with a hazard ratio (95% CI) of 1.6 (1.01-2.69) and 1.4 (1.02-1.81), respectively. For overall survival, the Chalkley count, but not PAI-1, was of significant independent prognostic value. The risk of death was 1.7 (1.30-2.15) for Chalkley counts in the upper tertile compared to the lower one. We conclude that the PAI-1 level and the Chalkley count are independent prognostic markers for recurrence-free survival in patients with primary breast cancer, suggesting that the prognostic impact of PAI-1 is not only based on its involvement in angiogenesis.     

Analysis of and prognostic information from disseminated tumour cells in bone marrow in primary breast cancer: a prospective observational study

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) in the bone marrow of patients with breast cancer have been identified as an independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with non-metastatic disease. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the presence and prognostic value of DTCs in the bone marrow of female patients with primary breast cancer. METHODS: Between 1999 and 2003, bone marrow aspirates were obtained from patients at the time of surgery for primary invasive breast cancer. DTCs in bone marrow were identified using monoclonal antibodies against cytokeratins for detection of epithelial cells. The detection of DTCs was related to clinical follow-up with distant disease-free survival (DDFS) and breast cancer-specific survival as endpoints. Bone marrow aspirates from adult healthy bone marrow donors were analysed separately. RESULTS: DTCs were analysed in 401 patients, and cytokeratin-positive cells were found in 152 of these (38%). An immunofluorescence (IF) staining procedure was used in 327 patients, and immunocytochemistry (IC) was performed in 74 patients. The IF-based method resulted in 40% DTC-positive cases, whereas 30% were positive using IC (p = 0.11). The presence of DTCs in bone marrow was not significantly related to patient or tumour characteristics. The presence of DTCs was not a prognostic factor for DDFS (IF: hazards ratio [HR], 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63--2.2; p = 0.60; IC: HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.09--8.1; p = 0.88). Significant prognostic factors were lymph node metastases, oestrogen receptor positivity, Nottingham histological grade, and tumour size using Cox univariate analysis. The analyses were positive for epithelial cells in bone marrow from adult healthy donors in 19 (25%) samples. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of DTCs in bone marrow in primary breast cancer was previously shown to be a predictor of poor prognosis. We were not able to confirm these results in a prospective cohort including unselected patients before the standard procedure was established. Future studies with a standardised patient protocol and improved technique for isolating and detecting DTCs may reveal the clinical applications of DTC detection in patients with micrometastases in the bone marrow.     

CK-19 expression by RT-PCR in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients correlates with response to chemotherapy

Background. The recent introduction of sensitive RT-PCR-based techniques for the detection of epithelial antigen expression, such as CK-19, in the peripheral blood and bone marrow of breast cancer patients may provide an opportunity to evaluate tumor response at the molecular level, even in the absence of measurable disease while patients are still receiving chemotherapy. Methods. We studied serially collected blood samples of 53 patients with breast cancer before, during, and after adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and palliative chemotherapy to evaluate its effects on the expression of CK-19 measured by RT-PCR. Results. The percentage of CK-19 RT-PCR positivity decreased consistently from 43% (23/53) before chemotherapy to 14.3% (7/49), and to 18.9% (7/37) after 3 and 6 cycles, respectively (chi-square for linear trend=7.948; p=0.0048). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between a negative CK-19 at three months and the response to chemotherapy (p=0.024). Conclusion. We conclude that RT-PCR negativity for CK-19 expression at 3 months after the beginning of chemotherapy correlates with tumor response and, as treatment progresses, there is a significant trend for the occurrence of more negative RT-PCR results. Further studies are needed to confirm if this technique can be useful to assess response to chemotherapy in patients without measurable disease and if negativation of CK-19 expression while on chemotherapy is of prognostic significance.