Blood Test for Colorectal Cancer Markers
Author Information
Author(s): Bustin S A, Gyselman V G, Williams N S, Dorudi S
Primary Institution: Academic Department of Surgery, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
Hypothesis
Can cytokeratins 19/20 and guanylyl cyclase C be reliably detected in the blood of colorectal cancer patients?
Conclusion
Cytokeratins 19 and 20 are not reliable markers for detecting colon epithelial cells in blood, and further studies are needed to evaluate GCC's usefulness.
Supporting Evidence
- Cytokeratin 19 mRNA was detected in 30% of healthy control samples.
- Cytokeratin 20 mRNA was detected in 100% of healthy control samples.
- GCC mRNA was found in approximately 80% of colorectal cancer patients.
- There was no correlation between GCC levels and disease stage.
- Transcription levels varied considerably between samples.
Takeaway
The study looked at blood tests for cancer markers, but found that the tests aren't good at showing if someone has colon cancer.
Methodology
A fully quantitative 5′-nuclease RT-PCR assay was used to screen for mRNA expression in blood samples.
Limitations
The study did not find a correlation between marker levels and disease stage, and transcription levels varied significantly.
Participant Demographics
21 healthy controls and 27 colorectal cancer patients.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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