Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Neoplastic Cells, Circulating”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Ki-1 anaplastic large cell lymphoma with a prominent leukemic phase.

Patients with Ki-1 (CD30)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) occasionally have rare circulating lymphoma cells. We report a case of ALCL with a prominent leukemic phase. A 36-year-old man presented with widespread ALCL involving lymph nodes, spleen, pleural fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, and bone marrow. His white blood cell count was 106,000/mm3 with 20% lymphoma cells. The circulating neoplastic cells were large, and had irregular nuclei with multiple small nucleoli, ample cytoplasm, and multiple clear cytoplasmic vacuoles. This case illustrates that ALCL may have a marked leukemic phase composed of large anaplastic cells.

Adult↗

Clonality assessment in blood of patients with mantle cell lymphoma.

The presence of circulating neoplastic cells at diagnosis was assessed in the blood of patients presenting with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) to determine the feasibility of a diagnostic molecular assay. Blood samples from 16 patients with pathologically reviewed MCL were analysed for the t(11;14)(q13;q32) translocation by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR): 7 (44%) were found positive. The remaining cases were examined by PCR for the presence of circulating neoplastic B-cells by amplifying the third complementarity region (CDR3) of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes and the immunoglobulin light kappa chain deletion rearrangements. A further 7 (44%) patients showed the presence of clonal lymphoma cells, leaving only 2 (12%) of cases negative for circulating lymphomatous cells. This study suggests that there is a high incidence of lymphoma cells in the blood of patients presenting with MCL. PCR for these clonal cells may be diagnostically useful.

Clone Cells↗

Concomitant mobilization of plasma cells and hematopoietic progenitors into peripheral blood of patients with multiple myeloma.

In this article, we review neoplastic contamination in the peripheral blood (PB) of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) upon stem cell mobilization. We first evaluated PB samples from pretreated MM patients following administration of high-dose cyclophosphamide (Cy, 7 g/m2 or 4 g/m2) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for the presence of myeloma cells as well as hematopoietic progenitors. Plasma cells containing intracytoplasmic immunoglobulin (cIg) were counted by immunofluorescence microscopy after incubation with appropriate antisera against light and heavy chain Ig. Flow cytometry studies were performed to determine the presence of malignant B lineage elements, using monoclonal antibodies against the CD19 antigen and the monotypic light chain. Prior to PBSC mobilization, circulating plasma cells were detected in all MM patients at 0.1%-1.8% of the mononuclear cell (MNC) fraction (mean value 0.7 +/- 0.4% SD). In these patients, a higher absolute number of PB neoplastic cells was detected after administration of chemotherapy and G-CSF. Kinetic analysis showed a pattern of tumor cell mobilization similar to that of normal hematopoietic progenitors, with the peak coinciding with the optimal period for the collection of PBSC. The absolute number of plasma cells showed a 10-50-fold increase over the baseline value. Apheresis products contained 0.7 +/- 0.2% SD myeloma cells (range 0.2%-2.7%), which demonstrated the capacity of plasma cells to proliferate, differentiate, and mature in response to c-kit ligand (SCF), IL-3, IL-6, and a combination of IL-3 and IL-6. Subsequently, in an attempt to reduce tumor cell contamination prior to autologous transplantation, circulating hematopoietic CD34+ cells were highly enriched by avidin-biotin immunoabsorption, cryopreserved, and used to reconstitute bone marrow (BM) function after myeloablative therapy in 13 patients. The median purity of the enriched CD34+ cell population was 89.5% (range 51%-94%), with a 75-fold enrichment compared with the pretreatment samples. The median overall recovery of CD34+ cells and CFU-GM was 58% (range 33%-95%) and 45% (range 7%-100%), respectively. Positive selection of CD34+ cells resulted in 2.5-3 log depletion of plasma cells and CD 19+ B lineage cells as determined by immunofluorescence studies, although DNA analysis of the CDR III region of the IgH gene demonstrated the persistence of minimal residual disease (MRD) in 5 of 6 patient samples studied. Myeloma patients were reinfused with enriched CD34+ cells after myeloablative therapy consisting of total body irradiation (TBI, 1000 cGy) and high-dose melphalan (140 mg/m2) or melphalan (200 mg/m2) alone. They received a median of 5 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg and showed a rapid reconstitution of hematopoiesis. The median time to 0.5 x 10(9) neutrophils, 20 x 10(9) and 50 x 10(9) platelets/L of PB was 10, 11, and 12 days, respectively. These results, as well as other clinically significant parameters, did not significantly differ from those of patients (n = 13) receiving unmanipulated PBSC following the same pretransplant conditioning regimen. Our data demonstrate the concomitant mobilization of tumor cells and hematopoietic progenitors in the PB of MM patients. Positive selection of CD34+ cells reduces the contamination of myeloma cells from the apheresis products up to 3 log and provides a cell suspension capable of restoring normal hematopoiesis following a TBI-containing conditioning regimen.

Antigens, CD19↗

The detection of tyrosinase mRNA in the peripheral blood of stage I melanoma patients is not of clinical relevance in predicting metastasis risk and survival.

The presence of tyrosinase mRNA in the peripheral blood cells of melanoma patients has been recently studied as a possible marker of haematogenous dissemination. However, considerable variations in the rates of detection have been noted. We determined the presence of tyrosinase mRNA-positive circulating cells using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 35 patients with stage I melanoma, two patients with stage II melanoma and two patients with stage III melanoma. Among the patients with stage 1, 13 were tested before and after surgery (< 1 h). Twenty healthy subjects served as negative controls. Out of the melanoma patients, the tyrosinase gene was expressed in three of the 52 samples tested. Tyrosinase mRNA was present in the circulating cells of only one patient with stage I melanoma after intra-congenital naevi resection. However, two other stage I patients developed rapidly lethal metastasis within the following 6 months, despite the lack of detectable tyrosinase mRNA. None of stage II patients were positive for the tyrosinase transcripts, while both patients with stage III melanoma showed enzyme expression. Our results confirm those of previous studies, showing that a small proportion of stage I melanoma patients have tyrosinase-positive circulating cells. Moreover, the lack of tyrosinase mRNA detection in the blood does not necessarily exclude metastatic progression. Therefore, this study indicates that the detection of tyrosinase mRNA-positive circulating cells by RT-PCR is not a predictive biomarker of a metastasis risk in patients with stage I melanoma.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Circulating malignant precursors in monoclonal gammopathies.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 14 patients with multiple myeloma (MM), 3 patients with benign monoclonal gammopathy, 3 patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia (WM) and 2 patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) were cultured in vitro in the presence of IL-3 and IL-6. After 3 days, actively proliferating immunoblast-like B cells were apparent in 12/14 cases of MM, 0/3 BMG, 3/3 WM and 0/2 B-CLL. After 6 d, B blasts had evolved into morphologically evident plasma cells expressing the specific monoclonal light and heavy chains. The data indicate that the concerted action of IL-3 and IL-6 synergistically promotes the proliferation and differentiation of circulating plasmacell precursors in malignant monoclonal gammopathies.

Cell Differentiation↗

Circulating peripheral blood plasma cells in multiple myeloma.

These studies indicate that monoclonal plasma cells can be detected in the peripheral blood of patients with active myeloma even when they are not detectable by routine WBC differentials performed on Wright-stained blood smears. These cells are usually not present in patients with MGUS and true SMM. They are detected in approximately 60% of patients with new, active MM and over 90% of patients with relapsed or refractory MM. If treatment is effective, they tend to decrease or disappear from the blood. When immunological, molecular, or cytogenetic studies are performed on peripheral blood cells from patients with MM, it must be realized that monoclonal plasma cells may be present and that they can influence the results of these tests. Although monoclonal plasma cells can circulate in the peripheral blood, it is not yet clear whether this cell represents the myeloma stem cell. It is possible that there are precursor cells that do not have plasma cell morphology in the blood or marrow that then differentiate into plasma cells. This question can only be answered by first depleting the plasma cells and then examining the remaining B-cells with appropriate immunological and molecular techniques.

Blood Cell Count↗

Prognostic significance of the sequential detection of circulating melanoma cells by RT-PCR in high-risk melanoma patients receiving adjuvant interferon.

The purpose of this study was to address the prognostic significance of circulating melanoma cells by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in the peripheral blood of stage IIB and III melanoma patients on high-dose adjuvant interferon at multiple sequential time points from initiation of treatment. Tyrosinase mRNA in peripheral blood from these patients was assayed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction prior to initiation of adjuvant interferon, at completion of 1 month of intravenous interferon and at 3 monthly intervals until progression. Four hundred and eighteen blood samples from 60 melanoma patients were analysed. The median follow-up time calculated from the time of inclusion in the study was 23 months (range 2-38 months). Tyrosinase mRNA in blood was detected in 42 (70%) of 60 patients: 16 (76%) of 21 stage IIB patients and 26 (66% ) of 39 stage III patients. The presence of tyrosinase mRNA in blood was correlated with a shorter disease-free survival (P : 0.03) and in multivariante analysis was an independent prognostic factor for relapse. Patients who seroconverted to a negative reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction after induction treatment had a significantly lower probability of recurrence. The presence of circulating melanoma cells is a marker of a high relapse risk and shorter disease-free survival whether detected postoperatively or during follow-up. Tyrosinase mRNA amplification by reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction may be a useful tool for monitoring the efficacy of adjuvant treatment in stage IIB and III melanoma patients.

Adult↗

Molecular detection of telomerase-positive circulating epithelial cells in metastatic breast cancer patients.

The detection of circulating tumor cells and micrometastases may have important therapeutic and prognostic implications. Telomerase is a hallmark of cancer and is absent from normal epithelial cells. The aim of this study was to use telomerase activity as a molecular marker for the detection of cancer cells in blood of patients with breast cancer. Blood samples were collected from 25 women with stage IV breast cancer and 9 healthy volunteers. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by using Ficoll/Hypaque. Immunomagnetic beads coated with an epithelial-specific antibody (BerEP4) were used to harvest epithelial cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Telomerase activity was detected in harvested epithelial cells (HECs) using two different telomerase-PCR-ELISA methods. HECs from blood samples of 21 of 25 (84%) patients with breast cancer were telomerase positive. Telomerase activity was undetectable in HECs from the nine healthy volunteers, demonstrating the specificity of the association between telomerase activity in HECs and stage IV breast cancer. Thus, determination of telomerase activity in HECs appears to be a sensitive, specific, and noninvasive approach for detecting circulating epithelial cancer cells in patients with metastatic breast cancer. This method could be of great value in monitoring the cancer cell proliferation during chemotherapy. This study should be now extended to patients with early-stage breast cancer to investigate the role of telomerase expression by HECs and to evaluate its prognostic value.

Adult↗

Cancer dormancy: from mice to man.

In this review, we focused on our studies of cancer dormancy in a murine B cell lymphoma and human breast cancer. Lifelong dormancy was induced in syngeneic mice by prior immunization to the idiotype of the tumor cell (TC) Ig before TC challenge. The mice maintained approximately 10(6) lymphoma cells in their spleen throughout their lifetime despite replication of the TCs at a reduced rate. Recurrences occurred randomly. Because of the balance between replication and cell death, we hypothesized that a similar balance might occur in long-term survivors of breast cancer when the risk of recurrences is very low. We developed a sensitive assay for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) which none were found in normal age-matched women. One third of patients, 7-22 years after mastectomy and without any evidence of disease, had CTCs. The half-life of these CTCs could be deduced from other studies as probably 2-3 hours. Hence, there was a precise balance between replication of TCs (presumably from micrometastases) and cell death. Therefore, a major population of clinically cured breast cancer patients have a chronic disease controlled by their own physiological mechanisms. We speculate on underlying mechanisms based both on studies in experimental models and clinical trials.

Animals↗

AZD2171, a pan-VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, normalizes tumor vasculature and alleviates edema in glioblastoma patients.

Using MRI techniques, we show here that normalization of tumor vessels in recurrent glioblastoma patients by daily administration of AZD2171-an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor of VEGF receptors-has rapid onset, is prolonged but reversible, and has the significant clinical benefit of alleviating edema. Reversal of normalization began by 28 days, though some features persisted for as long as four months. Basic FGF, SDF1alpha, and viable circulating endothelial cells (CECs) increased when tumors escaped treatment, and circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) increased when tumors progressed after drug interruption. Our study provides insight into different mechanisms of action of this class of drugs in recurrent glioblastoma patients and suggests that the timing of combination therapy may be critical for optimizing activity against this tumor.

Brain Edema↗

Quantification and cytokine production of circulating lymphoid and myeloid cells in acute myelogenous leukaemia.

A simple assay was developed to assess the potential of patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) to respond to immunotherapy. Lymphocytes, monocytes and leukaemic blasts with their corresponding intracellular cytokine profiles were evaluated by four-colour flow cytometry. In 50 microl samples of whole blood, surface labelling for CD45, CD8 and CD3 was used for cell identification prior to intracellular staining for interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, IL-12 and interferon (IFN)-gamma. Absolute numbers of CD8(+) and CD8(-) (putative CD4(+)) T-cells, NK cells (CD8(+)/CD3(-)) and monocytes were determined by reference to a fixed number of added fluorescent beads. The absolute numbers of CD8(-) and CD8(+) T-cells in the blood of patients with AML were similar to those of normal controls. More of the lymphocytes in the blood of leukaemic patients spontaneously produced cytokines compared with those of controls. Furthermore, primary AML blasts secreted predominantly IFN-gamma. After recovery from chemotherapy, lymphocyte counts tended to be lower than in normals and reduction of NK cells reached significance after the second chemotherapy (P=0.01). A prominent CD8(lo)/CD3(lo-int) lymphocyte subset appeared after recovery in some patients. This laboratory application of the study of cell subsets and intracellular cytokines in patients undergoing treatment may be helpful in monitoring immunological responses in AML.

Acute Disease↗

The importance of blood cell-vessel wall interactions in tumour metastasis.

Tumour cell dissemination is a complex process, depending on the ability of malignant cells to escape from the primary tumour and penetrate and flow through the bloodstream. Circulating tumour cells can adhere to the vessel wall, dissolve the basal lamina and extravasate, giving origin to metastases. Interactions between tumour cells, blood platelets and leukocytes favour tumour cell adhesion to the vessel wall, migration in extravascular spaces and growth in secondary sites. The biochemical and molecular mechanisms regulating tumour cell adhesion to the vessel wall and intercellular contacts have been studied extensively in recent years. Moreover, it has been shown that either tumour cells or blood cells release growth factors and inflammatory proteins, such as cytokines and chemokines, that may be involved in tumour cell migration and proliferation. Finally, tumour cells and cells of the surrounding tissue possess procoagulant and fibrinolytic properties that may be important in modulating the extracellular matrix around the tumour, to allow tumour cell invasion and progression. We have described the cell types (i.e. blood platelets, leukocytes, endothelial cells), the matrix components (i.e. fibronectin, thrombospondin and laminin) and the growth factors/cytokines (i.e. platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor beta, tumour necrosis factor) involved in these processes. In particular, we have described cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, cell migration and release of growth factors, cytokines, chemotactic peptides and proteolytic enzymes. This survey has also considered a few innovative approaches for the prevention and cure of cancer and metastasis that are based on these new concepts.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Detection of prostate cancer cells circulating in peripheral blood by reverse transcription-PCR for hKLK2.

Two of the human tissue kallikrein family, hK2 and hK3 (prostate-specific antigen), are primarily produced by the prostatic epithelium under the regulation of androgens. In this study, we detected prostate cancer cells that expressed hKLK2 or hKLK3 mRNA in the peripheral blood of patients with prostate cancer using reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). We then demonstrated some differences in characteristics, such as differentiation of cancer cells and response to antiandrogen therapy, between hKLK2 and hKLK3 mRNA-expressing prostate cancer cells. Total RNA was isolated from 41 patients with known prostate cancer, 7 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, and 20 normal volunteers. By RT-PCR, hKLK2 mRNA was detected in 7 patients (33%), and hKLK3 mRNA was detected in 17 (81%) of 21 stage D prostate cancer patients. In contrast, all patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and healthy volunteers were negative. From comparison of the background of the patients positive for hKLK2 and/or hKLK3 mRNA, it became evident that the response to antiandrogen therapy and the expression of hKLK2 mRNA were reciprocally correlated, in contrast with the expression of hKLK3 mRNA. Additionally, our study clearly demonstrated that the detection of hKLK2 mRNA in the peripheral blood was useful for screening patients with certain prostate cancers that did not express hK3. We conclude that taking advantage of the difference between hKLK2 mRNA and hKLK3 mRNA expression is clinically useful for following up prostate cancer patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Constitutive chemokine production results in activation of leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 on adult T-cell leukemia cells.

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is characterized by massive infiltration of circulating ATL cells into a variety of tissues, a finding often associated with poor prognosis. Leukocyte migration from circulation into tissue depends on integrin-mediated adhesion to endothelium, and integrins are tightly regulated by several stimuli, such as inflammatory chemokines. However, the exact mechanisms that enhance adherence of leukemic cells to the endothelium and infiltration into tissues remain to be fully understood. We investigated the mechanisms of extravasation of leukemic cells using ATL cells and report the following novel features of endogenous chemokine-induced adhesion of ATL cells to the endothelium. ATL cells spontaneously adhered to endothelial cells without exogenous stimulation. Integrin leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) on ATL cells was spontaneously activated. ATL cells produced high amounts of chemokines, macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha), and MIP-1beta. Adhesion of ATL cells to endothelial cells and the expression of activated form of LFA-1 were reduced by pretreatment with pertussis toxin, wortmannin, or anti-MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta antibodies or transfection with antisense of MIP-1alpha or MIP-1beta. Spontaneous polymerization of cytoskeletal F-actin was observed in ATL cells, which was also inhibited by pertussis toxin and wortmannin. We propose that ATL cells adhere to endothelial cells through an adhesion cascade similar to normal leukocytes and that the chemokines produced by ATL cells are involved in triggering integrin LFA-1 through cytoskeletal rearrangement induced by G-protein-dependent activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinases in an autocrine manner. These events result in a strong adhesion of ATL cells to the endothelium and spontaneous transendothelial migration.

3-Phosphoinositide-Dependent Protein Kinases↗