RESUMO
BACKGROUND: This study was designed to compare the detection rates of conventional tumor markers with two molecular diagnostic approaches on blood samples from patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preoperative blood samples were obtained from 44 esophageal cancer patients and were subjected to CEA-specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) assay for p16, E-cadherin and RARbeta genes. RESULTS: Circulating tumor cells were detected in 12 patients (27%); 14 patients (32%) had aberrant methylation in the promoter region of at least one gene (6, 4 and 4 patients, for p16, E-cadherin and RARbeta, respectively). No abnormality was detected by either assay in control plasmas. Altogether, 23 patients (53%) had a positive result in either molecular assay. There was no correlation between either assay result and those of conventional serum markers. CONCLUSION: The RT-PCR and MSP assays can serve as complementary markers for screening and monitoring esophageal cancer patients.
Assuntos
Biomarcadores Tumorais/sangue , Antígeno Carcinoembrionário/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/diagnóstico , Metilação de DNA , Neoplasias Esofágicas/diagnóstico , Células Neoplásicas Circulantes/patologia , Idoso , Caderinas/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/sangue , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Inibidor p16 de Quinase Dependente de Ciclina/genética , Neoplasias Esofágicas/sangue , Neoplasias Esofágicas/genética , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Células Neoplásicas Circulantes/metabolismo , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/métodos , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Receptores do Ácido Retinoico/genética , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
This study was designed to perform methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR) assay for p16, E-cadherin, and retinoic acid receptor beta genes on peripheral blood samples from patients with esophageal squamous cell cancers, and compare the results of MS PCR with conventional serum tumor markers and the CEA-specific reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Preoperative blood samples were obtained from 30 patients with esophageal cancer, and were subjected to MS PCR and RT-PCR assays. Eleven patients (37%) showed aberrant methylation of the promoter region of at least one gene. On the other hand, circulating tumor cells were detected in 11 patients (37%). There was no correlation between both results and conventional tumor markers. The MS-PCR and RT-PCR assays can serve as complementary diagnostic markers for screening and monitoring patients with esophageal cancers.