Regular Article

British Journal of Cancer (2001) 84, 631–635. doi:10.1054/bjoc.2000.1662 www.bjcancer.com
Published online 27 February 2001

Detection of circulating carcinoma cells by telomerase activity

L R Gauthier1, C Granotier1, J-C Soria2, S Faivre2, V Boige2, E Raymond2 and F D Boussin1

  1. 1Laboratoire de RadioPathologie, DRR/DSV CEA BP6, Fontenay-aux-Roses, 92265, France
  2. 2Département de Médecine, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, 94805, France

Received 10 August 2000; Revised 20 November 2000; Accepted 29 November 2000.

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Abstract

Telomerase has been shown to be a marker of epithelial cancer cells. We developed a method that allows the detection of circulating carcinoma cells in the blood of cancer patients. Circulating epithelial cells are harvested from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by immunomagnetic separation using BerEP4-coated beads. A telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP)-ELISA is then used to measure telomerase in harvested epithelial cells. This method is specific and sensitive as demonstrated by experiments using BerEP4-positive and negative cell lines. Whereas we never found telomerase activity in harvested epithelial cells (HEC) samples from 30/30 healthy donors, we have detected telomerase activity in HEC from 11/15 (73%) patients with stage IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and from 8/11 (72%) stage C or D (Dukes classification) colon cancer patients. This non-invasive method could be of great value as a diagnostic or prognostic marker, or for monitoring cancer progression. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign

Keywords:

circulating tumour cells, carcinoma, telomerase

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