Evaluation of microsatellite analysis in urine sediment for diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Alterations at microsatellite DNA markers in cells exfoliated in urine have been correlated to the presence of bladder cancer. To check the feasibility of such noninvasive analysis to routinely diagnose bladder cancers, we have developed a highly sensitive method using fluorescent PCR to search for DNA microsatellite alterations in urine sediment compared with a blood paired sample. One hundred eighty-three patients were included in our study.