Detection of mammaglobin mRNA expression in peripheral blood by FQ-PCR in breast cancer patients with micrometastasis / 中国普通外科杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo evaluate mammaglobin (hMAM) mRNA expression as a tumor marker for micrometastatic carcinoma cells in the peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer (BC). MethodsTotal RNA extracted from a breast carcinoma cell line SKBR3 was subjected to analysis of hMAM mRNA expression by RT-PCR. The sensitivity of FQ-PCR to detect a SKBR3 cell at a level of 10 7 was established. Peripheral blood of 63 BC patients was examined by this method. ResultsBlood samples were positive in 19 out of 63 (30%) patients with breast carcinomas. None of the patients with other cancer (25 cases) or benign breast disease (13 cases) was positive and only 1 out of 31 healthy volunteers was found with detectable hMAM mRNA expression in the peripheral blood. ConclusionFluorescence quantitative (FQ) PCR combined with nest PCR was a sensitive method in detecting micrometastases of breast cancer.