Detection of circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients during or after therapy using a multigene real-time RT-PCR assay.

Aim: To evaluate the utility of a multigene real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay to detect circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood specimens of breast cancer patients during or after treatment.

Method: Using this assay, peripheral blood samples were analyzed for expression levels of mammaglobin and three complementary transcribed breast cancer-specific genes: B305D, gamma-aminobutyrate type A receptor pi subunit (GABA pi; GABRP), and B726P. We examined 172 blood specimens from 82 breast cancer patients during or after therapy for the presence of circulating tumor cells using the multigene real-time RT-PCR assay.

Hepatocyte growth factor and vitamin D cooperatively inhibit androgen-unresponsive prostate cancer cell lines.

Expression of MET, the receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), has been associated with androgen-insensitive prostate cancer. In this study we evaluated MET activation by HGF and HGF action in prostate cancer cell lines. HGF causes phosphorylation (activation) of the MET receptor in three androgen-unresponsive cell lines (DU 145, PC-3, and ALVA-31) together with morphological change.

Gap-junctional communication in normal and neoplastic prostate epithelial cells and its regulation by cAMP.

Gap-junctional communication and expression of gap junction-forming proteins were investigated in normal human prostate epithelial cells and in several malignant prostate cell lines. In comparison with normal cells, gap-junctional communication in malignant cells, as assayed by the transfer of 443-Da fluorescent tracer Lucifer yellow, was either reduced or not detected. Malignant cells expressed mRNA transcripts for connexin (Cx) 43, whereas normal cells expressed mRNA transcripts for Cx32 and Cx40.

Growth inhibition of human prostate tumor cells by an agonist of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone.

The effect of [D-Leu6,des-Gly-NH2(10),Proethylamide9]-GnRH, leuprolide, was determined for the human primary prostate tumor cell line ALVA-31 by in vitro mitogenic assays. Prostate tumor cell proliferation was inhibited up to 50% by leuprolide. Inhibition was not observed in parallel cultures treated with other low molecular weight bioactive peptides.