Tumor-derived aberrant methylation in plasma of invasive ductal breast cancer patients: clinical implications.

Progressive p16 methylation has been associated with metastasis and invasive phenotypes in many cancers. Loss of E-cadherin (CDH1) function contributes to breast cancer progression by promoting cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Using methylation-specific PCR, aberrant hypermethylation of p16 and CDH1 in tumor and plasma was analyzed and correlated with levels of serum protein markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carcinoma antigen 15-3 (CA15.

Polysaccharide peptide mediates apoptosis by up-regulating p21 gene and down-regulating cyclin D1 gene.

The use of herbal medicine is a common practice among Chinese women with breast cancer. Yunzhi (Voriolus versicolor), a substance that is regarded as a biological response modifier, is frequently used. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the anti-proliferative action of, Yunzhi, polysaccharide peptide (PSP), on breast cancer cells.

Surgery-related shedding of breast cancer cells as determined by RT-PCR assay.

Background And Objectives: Surgery could result in the shedding of cancer cells into the circulation. These cells were investigated with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for cytokeratin 19 (CK19) and beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG).

Patients And Methods: Peripheral blood was sampled from 49 patients with breast cancer before operation (d(-1)), 1 day after operation (d(1)), and 7 days after operation (d(7)).

Comparison of TPS with CEA and CA 15.3 in follow-up of Chinese breast cancer patients.

Serum levels of serum tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) were compared with levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA 15.3 with regards to their clinical values in Chinese breast cancer patients. A total of 81 patients were recruited and followed-up prospectively for disease recurrence and death.

E-cadherin promoter methylation can regulate its expression in invasive ductal breast cancer tissue in Chinese woman.

Promoter methylation is an important mechanism of regulating E-cadherin expression. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) assay was done to evaluate the promoter methylation status of E-cadherin gene in primary tumor samples from 23 cases of Chinese women with invasive ductal breast cancers. Western blotting assay was employed for E-cadherin and beta-actin expressions.