Comparison of Two Types of Liquid Biopsies in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Awaiting Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is considered one of the few curative treatments available for early stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It has been shown that more than 10% of transplanted individuals suffer relapse during the first year after surgery and most of them die because of the tumor. The circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are the main source of recurrences as they disseminate from a primary or metastatic tumor lesion through peripheral blood. We aimed to determine the concentration of CTCs in peripheral blood in these patients by 2 different approaches: the CellSearch and the IsoFlux systems to assess their applicability to this disease monitoring. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A comparative study was conducted in 21 patients with HCC eligible for liver transplantation according to the Milan criteria, whose peripheral blood was processed by the CellSearch and the IsoFlux systems. RESULTS: CTCs were isolated in 1 of the 21 patients (4.7%) by the CellSearch system and in 19 of the 21 patients (90.5%) by the IsoFlux method. The comparison of both methods using Bland-Altman plot shows that there is not consistency in the determination of CTCs in our patients, finding a proportional bias between them. CONCLUSION: The results obtained by both CTCs isolation systems are not interchangeable nor transferable. The CellSearch system does not seem to be the ideal approach for studying CTCs in patients with HCC. The IsoFlux system displays greater sensitivity in the identification of CTCs and might become an important tool in patient management.

Hibridación in situ fluorescente (FISH), hibridación in situ cromogénica (CISH) e hibridacion in situ cromogénica con plata (SISH): su uso para la detección de la amplificación del gen HER2 en cáncer de mama / No disponible

La importancia en la detección de la amplificación del gen HER2 es esencial en el cáncer de mama puesto que estas pacientes no responden a los tratamientos de quimioterapia y hormonales convencionales. La determinación del HER2 tiene un papel crucial como diana terapéutica del trastuzumab. A continuación discutiremos la efectividad y utilidad clínica de la técnica hibridación in situ fluorescente (FISH), la hibridación in situ cromogénica (CISH) y la hibridación in situ cromogénica con plata (SISH), como métodos usados para el estudio del gen HER2 en la selección correcta de las pacientes con cáncer de mama, que son candidatas a recibir trastuzumab(AU)

The importance of determining HER2 status lays on the fact that breast cancer patients with HER2 amplification are more reluctant to conventional chemotherapy and hormonal treatments. Thus the HER2 analysis is an essential requisite to determine which patients are eligible to be treated with trastuzumab. The aim of this article is reviewing the effectiveness and clinical utility of HER 2 diagnostic test with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) and silver chromogenic in situ hybridization (SISH) to correctly select breast cancer patients who are candidates to be treated with trastuzumab(AU)

Immunomagnetic quantification of circulating tumoral cells in patients with prostate cancer: clinical and pathological correlation.

OBJECTIVES: To detect and enumerate circulating prostatic tumor cells (CTC) in the peripheral blood of patients with prostate cancer (PC) and study the relationship between CTCs and clinical-pathological parameters. METHODS: Prospective three-arm study: 26 patients (p) with localised PC (LPC); 24 P with metastatic PC (MPC) and 30 healthy volunteer controls. A single 7.5 ml sample of peripheral blood was retrieved; CTCs were isolated using an immunomagnetic method based on the CellSearch system (Veridex). CTCs were identified as nucleated cells negative for CD45 (leukocytes) and positive for cytokeratins. (8, 18 y 19) The relationship between CTC numbers and PSA levels, Gleason score and TNM classification was studied. RESULTS: Only 10% of the healthy controls had 1 CTC/7.5 mL, none of the patients with localised PC had more than 3 CTCs (88% < or = 2 CTCs), and patients with MPC had significantly higher CTC levels [m: 29 (1-178)] compared with the other two groups (P: 0.000). A positive correlation was demonstrated between the CTC count and PSA levels, tumor size, and presence or absence of enlarged lymph nodes. Gleason score was the only parameter that did not show any correlation with CTC levels, and although the number of CTCs was higher in patients with visceral metastases [m: 297 (0-416)] compared with bone metastases patients [m: 68 (9.5-168)] , these differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Immunomagnetic analysis permits CTCs to be enumerated in peripheral blood and could be a possible way to correctly stage and make a reasonable prognosis of metastatic disease.

Cuantificación inmunogenética de células tumorales circulantes en pacientes con cáncer de próstata: correlación clínica y patológica / Immunomagnetic quantification of circulating tumoral cells in patients with prostate cáncer: clinical and pathological correlation

OBJETIVOS: Detección y cuantificación de células tumorales prostáticas circulantes (CTC) en sangre periférica de pacientes con cáncer de próstata (CP) y estudiar la relación de las CTCs con los parámetrosclínico-patológicos.MÉTODOS: Estudio prospectivo con tres brazos: 26 pacientes (p) con CP localizado (CPL); 24p con CP metastático(CPM) y 30 controles voluntarios sanos. Se extrajouna única muestra de 7,5 mL de sangre periférica y se aislaron las CTC según un método inmunomagnéticobasado en el sistema CellSearch (Veridex). Las CTCs fueron identificadas como células nucleadas negativas para el CD45 (leucocitos) y positivas para las citoqueratinas(8, 18 y 19). Se estudiaron las relaciones del número de CTCs con los niveles de PSA, Gleason y clasificación TNM.RESULTADOS: Sólo el 10% de controles sanos tenían 1 CTC/7,5 mL, ninguno de los pacientes con CP localizadotuvo más de 3 CTC (88% ≤ 2 CTC) y aquellos con CPM presentaban niveles de CTCs significativamente más altos [m: 29 (1-178)] comparados con los otros dos grupos (P: 0.000). Se demostró una correlación positiva entre el número de CTC y cifras de PSA, con el tamaño del tumor y con la presencia o no de adenopatías.El grado Gleason fue el único parámetro que no mostró correlación con los niveles de CTC y aunque el número de CTC fue mayor en aquellos con metástasis viscerales [m: 297 (0-416)] comparado con los que tenían metástasis óseas [m: 68 (9,5-168)] estas diferenciasno fueron significativas.CONCLUSIONES: El análisis inmunomagnético nos permite cuantificar las CTC en sangre periférica y podríapresentar una posibilidad para lograr una estadificacióncorrecta y estimar un pronóstico adecuado de la enfermedad metastática(AU)

OBJECTIVES: To detect and enumerate circulating prostatic tumor cells (CTC) in the peripheral blood of patients with prostate cancer (PC) and study the relationship between CTCs and clinical-pathological parameters. METHODS: Prospective three-arm study: 26 patients (p) with localised PC (LPC); 24 P with metastatic PC (MPC) and 30 healthy volunteer controls. A single 7.5 ml sample of peripheral blood was retrieved; CTCs were isolated using an immunomagnetic method based on the CellSearch system (Veridex). CTCs were identified as nucleated cells negative for CD45 (leukocytes) and positive for cytokeratins. (8, 18 y 19) The relationship between CTC numbers and PSA levels, Gleason score and TNM classification was studied.RESULTS: Only 10% of the healthy controls had 1 CTC/7.5 mL, none of the patients with localised PC had more than 3 CTCs (88% ≤ 2 CTCs), and patients with MPC had significantly higher CTC levels [m: 29 (1-178)] compared with the other two groups (P: 0.000). A positive correlation was demonstrated between the CTC count and PSA levels, tumor size, and presen-ce or absence of enlarged lymph nodes. Gleason score was the only parameter that did not show any correlation with CTC levels, and although the number of CTCs was higher in patients with visceral metasta-ses [m: 297 (0-416)] compared with bone metastases patients [m: 68 (9.5-168)], these differences were not significant(AU)