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Detection of circulating MUC7‐positive cells by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction in bladder cancer patients
Author(s) -
KINJO MANAMI,
OKEGAWA TAKATSUGU,
HORIE SHIGEO,
NUTAHARA KIKUO,
HIGASHIHARA EIJI
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
international journal of urology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.172
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1442-2042
pISSN - 0919-8172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-2042.2004.00739.x
Subject(s) - medicine , bladder cancer , reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction , urinary system , cancer , urinary bladder , polymerase chain reaction , disease , pathology , gastroenterology , gene expression , gene , biochemistry , chemistry
Abstract Background: To determine whether MUC7 gene expression can be used as a bladder cancer marker in peripheral blood. Methods: Nested reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) was performed on four types of bladder cancer cell lines (RT4, T24, EJ‐1 and TCC) and the peripheral blood of 38 (31 superficial disease and seven invasive disease) bladder cancer patients and 18 subjects with urinary tract infections or other non‐malignant conditions to determine the expression of MUC7 . Results: No MUC7 gene expression was detected in control subjects. MUC7‐positive cells were detected in all bladder cancer cell lines and in 18 of 38 (47.4%) peripheral blood samples of bladder cancer patients. Based on the tumor stage, MUC7 was detected in 11 of 29 (37.9%) patients with superficial disease (Ta and T1) and in seven of nine (77.7%) invasive disease patients (≥T2). There was a significant difference between superficial and invasive disease ( P = 0.042). Based on tumor grade, we could not detect MUC7 in five patients with grade 1, in five of 15 patients (33.3%) with grade 2 and in 13 of 18 patients (72.2%) with grade 3. There was a significant difference between grades 1 and 3 ( P = 0.007) and grades 2 and 3 ( P = 0.025). Conclusions: These results suggest that MUC7 is a highly specific marker for bladder cancer and may be a useful method for the molecular staging and management of bladder cancer.