Cargando…

Challenges in enumeration of CTCs in breast cancer using techniques independent of cytokeratin expression

INTRODUCTION: Given the current postulated plasticity between epithelial and mesenchymal states of migratory cancer cells the detection of non-epithelial CTCs is an important scientific and clinical goal. METHODS: We used the filtration-based ISET technology to enrich circulating tumour cells (CTCs)...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Castle, John, Morris, Karen, Pritchard, Susan, Kirwan, Cliona C.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5397021/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28422972
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175647
Descripción
Sumario:INTRODUCTION: Given the current postulated plasticity between epithelial and mesenchymal states of migratory cancer cells the detection of non-epithelial CTCs is an important scientific and clinical goal. METHODS: We used the filtration-based ISET technology to enrich circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in early breast cancer blood samples and identify them using a morphology-based immunocytochemistry (ICC) approach. RESULTS: We found greater numbers of putative CTCs by this approach than by the cytokeratin-based CellSearch technology, but a high number of CTC false positives were identified in healthy volunteer samples which were not reduced in successive blood draws. Preliminary work using an oestrogen receptor (ER)-based multiplex ICC method in metastatic breast cancer ISET samples indicated a low number of ER+ CTCs even at this advanced stage. CONCLUSIONS: This work highlights the challenges in enumerating CTCs without conventional epithelial markers.