Hoffmann A-C, Warnecke-Eberz U, Luebke T, Prenzel K, Metzger R, Heitmann M, Neiss S, Vallbohmer D, Hoelscher A H, Schneider P M
Department of Visceral and Vascular Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
J Surg Oncol. 2007 Jan 1;95(1):51-4. doi: 10.1002/jso.20630.
We evaluated if mRNA expression of survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis, can be used to detect circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood of patients with various gastrointestinal cancers and if they decrease following complete surgical resection.
Blood samples from 40 gastrointestinal cancer patients were analyzed prior and following surgical resection by direct quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) assays.
Survivin mRNA expression was pre-operatively detected in 35 of 40 cancer patients (88%). Post-operative survivin levels were significantly lower than pre-operative levels in 59% of resected patients and were non-detectable in 38% (Wilcoxon rank test: P < 0.04).
This is the first report showing that direct quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis of survivin mRNA expression in peripheral blood of patients with gastrointestinal cancers is technically feasible. Survivin mRNA levels fall significantly following complete resection and might become a molecular marker for the completeness of surgical resection.
