Measuring Circulating Endothelial Cells in Breast Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Fürstenberger G, von Moos R, Senn H-J, Boneberg E-M
Primary Institution: Center for Tumor Detection and Prevention, St Gallen, Switzerland
Hypothesis
Can real-time PCR of CD146 mRNA effectively quantify circulating endothelial cells in breast cancer patients compared to flow cytometry?
Conclusion
Real-time PCR for CD146 is a reliable method for quantifying circulating endothelial cells in breast cancer patients, showing significant increases compared to healthy controls.
Supporting Evidence
- Circulating endothelial cell numbers were significantly increased in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients compared to healthy controls.
- Real-time PCR showed high sensitivity and linearity for quantifying endothelial cells.
- VEGF plasma levels did not significantly differ between breast cancer patients and healthy controls.
Takeaway
This study found that a special test can help count certain cells in the blood that are important for understanding cancer growth, and it works just as well as a more complicated test.
Methodology
The study compared the quantification of circulating endothelial cells using real-time PCR and flow cytometry in blood samples from breast cancer patients and healthy controls.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from misidentifying platelet aggregates as endothelial cells in flow cytometry.
Limitations
The study did not normalize the real-time PCR results to a housekeeping gene, which could affect the accuracy of CEC quantification.
Participant Demographics
The study included 25 healthy females, 5 healthy males, and 18 female breast cancer patients.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p=0.0021
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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