Detection of mutant k-ras sequences in the urine of cancer patients.

DNA fragments from apoptotic cells crossing the renal barrier retain their matrix functions, which allows PCR identification of mutant sequences in excreted DNA. We investigated the possibility of detecting k-ras mutations in urinary DNA of tumor patients (colon cancer). In some patients with k-ras codon 12 mutations in tumor cell DNA the same changes were detected in the urinary DNA.

Genetic analysis of DNA excreted in urine: a new approach for detecting specific genomic DNA sequences from cells dying in an organism.

Background: Cell-free DNA from dying cells recently has been discovered in human blood plasma. In experiments performed on animals and humans, we examined whether this cell-free DNA can cross the kidney barrier and be used as a diagnostic tool.

Methods: Mice received subcutaneous injections of either human Raji cells or purified (32)P-labeled DNA.

Alpha-2 macroglobulin gene in early- and late-onset Alzheimer disease.

Alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) is a proteinase inhibitor that is present in senile plaques and may play a role in metabolism of amyloid beta (A beta) peptide. Recently it was reported that inheritance of the deletion allele (A2M-2) confers increased risk for late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD) with significance of this effect similar to the epsilon4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE). We examined the distribution of A2M genotypes and alleles in a cohort of 146 AD patients and 160 age-matched non-demented individuals.