Expression of human mammaglobin mRNA in peripheral blood of breast cancer and their implication / 中华外科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the expression of human mammaglobin (hMAM) mRNA in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients and its implication.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of human mammaglobin mRNA was determined by using RT-PCR method in 56 patients with peripheral blood breast cancer, 8 patients with breast hyperplasia and 8 women with normal breast. The expression of hMAM mRNA was compared with biological significance and change of hMAM mRNA in chemotherapy after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of hMAM mRNA was negative in 8 patients with breast hyperplasia, 8 women with normal breast and 56 patients with breast cancer, The positive rate was 30.4% (17/56) (chi(2) = 19.766, P < 0.01). The expression of hMAM mRNA in peripheral blood was not correlated with clinical stage, primary tumor size and patients age (chi(2) = 1.256, P > 0.05). After short-term large dose of chemotherapy, 41.2% (7/17) patients turned positive before operation to negative hMAM mRNA expression and negetive expression before operation positive expression after chemotherapy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study suggests that hMAM is sensitive and specific for breast cancer. Detection of the expression of hMAM mRNA in peripheral blood of breast cancer is of value in the diagnosis and judgement of prognosis of breast cancer.</p>