乳腺癌患者骨髓中人乳腺珠蛋白mRNA的检测及其临床意义

目的探讨乳腺癌患者骨髓中人乳腺珠蛋白（hMAM）mRNA的表达及其临床意义。方法应用巢式RT—PCR技术,同时检测75例乳腺癌患者、15例乳腺良性病变患者和8例健康人骨髓中hMAMmRNA的表达,分析hMAMmRNA表达与临床病理因素、Ki67、p53和血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）的关系。结果RT—PCR检测的敏感度达到10^-6。75例乳腺癌患者中,21例检测出hMAMmRNA阳性表达,阳性表达率为28．0％。hMAMmRNA阳性表达与乳腺癌腋窝淋巴结转移和PR状况有关（P〈0．05）,与年龄、肿瘤大小、临床分期和ER状况无关（P〉0．05）;与乳腺癌组织Ki67表达呈正相关（X^2=4．936,P=0．026）。乳腺良性病变患者和健康人骨髓中,未检测到hMAMmRNA表达。结论应用RT—PCR方法检测乳腺癌骨髓中hMAMmRNA的表达,敏感度高、特异性好。hMAMmRNA可作为检测乳腺癌患者骨髓中播散肿瘤细胞的分子指标之一,可为乳腺癌患者的治疗和预后判断提供帮助。     

早期乳腺癌hMAM mRNA阳性循环肿瘤细胞检测及其临床意义

 目的 研究早期乳腺癌hMAM mRNA阳性循环肿瘤细胞检测的临床意义。 方法 巢式RT PCR检测50例早期乳腺癌患者术后辅助治疗前外周血hMAM mRNA阳性细胞,随访。24例乳腺良性疾病患者和20例健康体检志愿者作对照。 结果 早期乳腺癌患者术后辅助治疗前外周血有核细胞hMAM mRNA阳性率26.0%,与良性乳腺疾病患者（4.2%）、健康体检志愿者（0%）比较,差异有统计学意义(分别为P=0.025、P=0.012);其hMAM mRNA阳性率与癌组织HER2过表达相关（P=0.037）;13例阳性患者中8例（61.5%）随访出现复发转移（P=0.004）,中位无瘤生存期明显降低（P=0.002）。 结论 hMAM mRNA是检测乳腺癌循环肿瘤细胞较为理想的分子标记物。早期乳腺癌患者术后辅助治疗前hMAM mRNA阳性循环肿瘤细胞检测,可能是预测复发转移和预后不良的辅助指标。     

Detection of epithelial messenger RNA in the plasma of breast cancer patients is associated with poor prognosis tumor characteristics.

PURPOSE: Free plasma RNA has been scarcely studied in patients with cancer. Here we examine the presence of RNA from epithelial tumors in plasma from a series of breast cancer patients and its correlation with tumor characteristics and circulating tumor cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: beta-actin mRNA was analyzed to check the viability of plasma RNA in samples from 45 patients with breast cancer and 25 controls. Nested primers were used to detect the presence of cytokeratin 19 (CK19) and Mammaglobin in the same samples. Eleven clinicopathological parameters were studied and correlated with molecular parameters. Additionally, we looked for circulating tumor cells in 16 of these patients and in 10 of the controls. RESULTS: All samples showed detectable quantities of beta-actin RNA. In controls, 3 cases (12%) were positive for Mammaglobin, and 5 (20%) were positive for CK19 RNA; of the 45 patients, 27 cases (60%) were positive for Mammaglobin, and 22 (49%) were positive for CK19. These differences were statistically significant (P = 0.001). Tumor size (P = 0.01) and proliferative index (P = 0.02) were associated with the presence of Mammaglobin, CK19, or both RNAs in plasma. Pathological stage (P = 0.06) was close to significance. Although a statistical relationship was not demonstrated, 9 of the 10 patients with circulating tumor cells showed epithelial mRNAs in plasma. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that epithelial tumor RNA is detectable in plasma from breast cancer patients and that this finding is associated with a probable poor prognosis and circulating tumor cells.     

ErbB2 overexpression on occult metastatic cells in bone marrow predicts poor clinical outcome of stage I-III breast cancer patients

Occult hematogenous micrometastases are the major cause for metastatic relapse and cancer-related death in patients with operable primary breast cancer. Although sensitive immunocytochemical and molecular methods allow detection of individual breast cancer cells in bone marrow (BM), a major site of metastatic relapse, current detection techniques cannot discriminate between nonviable shed tumor cells and seminal metastatic cells. To address this problem, we analyzed the relevance of erbB2 overexpression on disseminated cytokeratin-18-positive breast cancer cells in the BM of 52 patients with locoregionally restricted primary breast cancer using immunocytochemical double labeling with monoclonal antibody 9G6 to the p185erbB2 oncoprotein. Expression of p185erbB2 on BM micrometastases was detected in 31 of 52 (60%) patients independent of established risk factors such as lymph node involvement, primary tumor size, differentiation grade, or expression of p185erbB2 on primary tumor cells. After a median follow-up of 64 months, patients with p185erbB2-positive BM micrometastases had developed fatal metastatic relapses more frequently than patients with p185erbB2-negative micrometastases (21 versus 7 events; P = 0.032). In multivariate analysis, the presence of p185erbB2-positive micrometastases was an independent prognostic factor with a hazard ratio of 2.78 (95% confidence interval, 1.11-6.96) for overall survival (P = 0.029). We therefore conclude that erbB2 overexpression characterizes a clinically relevant subset of breast cancer micrometastases.     

应用RT-PCR检测乳腺癌患者外周血CEA mRNA和CK-19 mRNA的研究及意义

目的：检测乳腺癌患者外周血中CEA mRNA和CK-19 mRNA的表达，建立取材于外周血早期诊断乳腺癌微转移的方法。方法：65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，运用果式RT-PCR技术进行CEA mRNA和CK-19 mRNA的检测。结果：以     

乳腺癌患者外周血CEA mRNA的表达及意义

目的检测乳腺癌患者外周血中CEA mRNA的表达,建立取材于外周血早期诊断乳腺癌微转移的方法.方法采集65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,运用巢式RT-PCR技术进行CEA mRNA的检测.结果以巢式RT-PCR终产物出现131 bp带定为阳性.65例乳腺癌患者中,26例CEA mRNA阳性表达,阳性率为40.0%;37例乳腺良性疾病者CEA mRNA均无表达,差异具有显著性(χ2=7.41,P＜0.001).结论RT-PCR可以用于临床检测乳腺癌患者外周血中微转移.     

定量RT-PCR检测乳腺癌患者外周血中 CK19 mRNA表达的意义

目的:建立实时荧光定量逆转录-多聚酶链反应法(RT-PCR)检测乳腺癌患者外周血细胞角蛋白19(CK19)mRNA表达的状况,并探讨其临床意义.方法:70例经病理诊断的乳腺癌患者和30名健康对照者,以实时荧光定量RT-PCR检测其外周血CK19 mRNA的表达.结果:70例乳癌患者外周血CK19 mRNA表达的阳性率为32.9%(23/70),30例对照者的阳性率为3.3%(1/30),经统计学分析,两者差异具有显著性差异(P=0.002).在不同分期的乳腺癌患者中均存在不同程度CK19 mRNA的表达,Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ期患者外周血CK19 mRNA阳性率随分期增加而增高.结论:实时荧光定量RT-PCR方法可检测出各期乳腺癌患者外周血中CK19 mRNA的表达,具有较高的敏感性和特异性,提示循环肿瘤细胞可能存在于乳腺癌发展的各个阶段.     

Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF)-System mRNA Quantities in Normal and Tumor Breast Tissue of Women with Sporadic and Familial Breast Cancer Risk

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-system plays a role in breast cancer susceptibility as well as in growth and progression of breast carcinomas. So far, findings have been based on serum IGF-I levels and semi-quantitative assessment of IGF-system expression levels in model systems and human tissue. Quantitative data on mRNA expression in different types of human breast tissue are lacking. Breast tissue samples ( n = 83) were available from 72 women. Messenger RNA expression of IGF-I, IGF-II, and their receptors (IGF-1R and IGF-2R) was assessed by real-time RT-PCR. We found a large variation in mRNA levels. Expression of each gene was significantly higher in normal tissue than in tumor tissue (median for normal and tumor tissue, respectively (arbitrary units); IGF-I: 25.2 and 1.4; IGF-II: 5.9 and 0.6; IGF-1R: 0.18 and 0.07; IGF-2R: 1.8 and 0.9; p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney test). Interestingly, in tumor tissue from patients with a strong family history of breast cancer, expression of both receptors was higher than in sporadic patients (IGF-1R: 0.13 and 0.05, p = 0.04; IGF-2R: 1.1 and 0.8, p = 0.04). For cancer-free controls, expression of IGF-II and IGF-2R in normal breast tissue was also higher in women with a family history of breast cancer than in women without such a family history (IGF-II: 7.2 and 1.5, p = 0.02; IGF-2R: 2.6 and 1.5, p = 0.09). Our study quantitatively shows that mRNA expression levels of IGF-system components in the breast are generally higher in normal tissue compared with tumor tissue, and higher in tissue from women with a family history of breast cancer. A basis has therefore been created for studies aimed at understanding IGF as a breast cancer risk factor, the relationship between IGF-systems in serum and tissues, and effects of lifestyle factors on the IGF-system.     

Angiopoietin-2 expression in breast cancer correlates with lymph node invasion and short survival

Angiogenic factors produced by tumor cells are essential for tumor growth and metastasis. In our study, the expression of Angiopoietin-1 (ANG1) and Angiopoietin-2 (ANG2) mRNA in archival human breast cancer tumor samples and in 6 breast cancer cell lines was investigated. Total RNA from biopsies of 38 breast cancer patients was extracted and ANG1 and ANG2 mRNA expression was measured by means of quantitative real-time RT-PCR (Taqman). Matching data with available clinicopathologic and biochemical data revealed a significant association between ANG2 expression and axillary lymph node invasion. Univariate and multivariate survival analysis, by means of Kaplan-Meier method and Cox's proportional hazards model, showed significant and independent association between ANG2 mRNA level and both disease-free (p < 0.0001) and overall survival (p < 0.0003). An important fact is that, notwithstanding the small number of cases examined, this association was confirmed also in the group of lymph node-negative patients (DFS, p < 0.003; OS, p < 0.020). Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that Ang2 is expressed by both tumor cells and endothelial elements. Expression in tumor cells was confirmed by studying a panel of human breast carcinoma cell lines in culture by RT-PCR. In ZR75.1 and T47D cells, expression of ANG2 mRNA was increased up to 10-fold by treatment with estrogen within 24 hr. Although preliminary, these data suggest a possible role of ANG2 as a prognostic factor for primary breast cancer.     

乳腺癌组织中E-cadherin的表达与外周血微转移的相关性及临床意义

目的检测乳腺癌组织中E-cadherin的表达及患者外周血微转移的发生,探讨二者的相互关系及临床意义.方法应用逆转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）分别检测15例乳腺良性肿瘤患者及60例乳腺癌患者外周血CK-20及乳腺组织中E-cadherin mRNA的表达.结果 15例乳腺良性肿瘤组织中,均有E-cadherin阳性表达（100%）,而60例乳腺癌组织中,E-cadherin阳性表达23例（38.3%）,二者差异显著（P〈0.01）;CK-20在乳腺良性肿瘤患者外周血中未见表达.在60例乳腺癌患者外周血中,检出CK-20阳性表达28例（46.7%）,E-cadherin在相应癌组织中的阳性表达率为14.3% （4/28）,32例外周血CK-20阴性的乳腺癌病例中,E-cadherin的阳性表达率为59.3%（19/32）,二者差异显著（P〈0.01）.结论乳腺癌组织中E-cadherin的低表达与外周血高转移率显著相关,提示E-cadherin的表达缺失或低表达可能是导致乳腺癌高转移的因素之一,可作为临床判断预后的参考指标.     

HMGA2 is associated with invasiveness but not a suitable marker for the detection of circulating tumor cells in breast cancer

Previously, the human high mobility group protein member HMGA2 mRNA was reported to be expressed in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer, but not in healthy individuals. Expression of HMGA2 in blood was suggested to be an independent indicator of poor prognosis in metastatic breast cancer. These very promising findings propose HMGA2 as a potential marker for the detection of circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood. Therefore, we analyzed peripheral blood specimens from healthy controls and patients with breast tumors for HMGA2 expression using TaqMan real-time RT-PCR to test if HMGA2 is a suitable marker for the early detection of breast cancer and monitoring therapy response in peripheral blood. Furthermore, we examined the possible involvement of HMGA2 expression in invasion investigated by an in vitro invasion assay using established breast cell lines. HMGA2 expression was detected in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients as well as of healthy individuals. No significant association of HMGA2 expression with any clinical or histopathological data was apparent. However, there was a significant correlation of HMGA2 expression in invasive and non invasive breast cell lines (p=0.0056). Although, HMGA2 obviously contributes to invasion it is not a specific marker for the detection of circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood.     

Circulating HER2 mRNA-positive cells in the peripheral blood of patients with stage I and II breast cancer after the administration of adjuvant chemotherapy: evaluation of their clinical relevance.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) expressing HER2 messenger RNA (mRNA) after the administration of adjuvant chemotherapy in women with operable breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: HER2 mRNA-positive CTCs were detected by nested RT-PCR in the peripheral blood of 214 patients with stage I and II breast cancer after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: HER2 mRNA-positive CTCs were detected in 45 (21%) patients. Adjuvant chemotherapy could eliminate HER2 mRNA-positive CTCs in 16 (30.2%) prechemotherapy-positive patients. Moreover, HER2 mRNA-positive CTCs were detected in eight (5%) of 161 prechemotherapy-negative patients. The detection of HER2 mRNA-positive CTCs after chemotherapy was associated with reduced disease-free interval (DFI) (P = 0.006) but not with overall survival (P = 0.2); this effect was mainly observed in node-negative patients (P = 0.04) and to a lesser extent in node-positive (P = 0.06). Multivariate analysis revealed that the detection of HER2 mRNA-positive CTCs was an independent predictive factor for DFI (hazard ratio 3.238, P < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: The detection of HER2 mRNA-positive CTCs after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy may provide clinically useful information concerning the efficacy of treatment and the prognosis of patients with operable breast cancer.