目的

通过检测乳腺癌特异性的标志物人乳腺小黏蛋白(hSBEM)在良、恶性乳腺组织及外周血中表达,探讨其作为乳腺癌细胞血行转移标志物的可能性。

方法

应用巢式逆转录聚合酶链反应(nested-RT-PCR)技术,对67 例乳腺癌、癌旁正常乳腺组织,16 例乳腺良性肿瘤组织和患者外周血,以及20 位健康志愿者外周血hSBEM 的表达进行检测;同时分析胃癌、大肠癌、食管癌、肺癌和卵巢癌各5 例组织中hSBEM 的表达情况。

结果

hSBEM 在乳腺癌、乳腺良性疾病及正常乳腺组织中的表达分别为92.54%(62/67)、87.50%(14/16)及88.05%(59/67),3 组间差异无统计学意义(P ＞0.05);hSBEM 在非乳腺癌的其他癌组织中无表达。 67 例乳腺癌患者外周血hSBEM 检出率为50.75%(34/67),转移性及伴淋巴结转移乳腺癌患者外周血中hSBEM 表达率明显高于局限性乳腺癌及无淋巴结转移者(P ＜0.05);hSBEM 在健康人及乳腺良性疾病患者外周血中均无表达。 hSBEM 的表达与患者的年龄、原发肿瘤大小、病理类型、ER 和PR 的状态无关(P ＞0.05)。

结论

hSBEM 特异性表达于乳腺组织,乳腺癌患者外周血检测出hSBEM 提示已有癌细胞进入血液循环,因此可作为检测乳腺癌血行微转移的标志物。

Objective

To explore the possibility of human small breast epithelial mucin (hSBEM) as a metastasis marker of breast cancer through blood route by detecting the expression of hSBEM in benign and malignant tumours and peripheral blood.

Methods

The expression of hSBEM was detected with nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (nested RT-PCR) in 67 samples of breast cancer and adjacent normal breast tissue,16 samples of breast benign lesion tissue,and 67 specimens of peripheral blood from patients with breast cancer,16 specimens of benign breast lesions,and 20 specimens of healthy volunteers,meanwhile the hSBEM expressions tested by nested RT-PCR in 25 other carcinomas tissue samples,including gastric carcinoma(n=5),colorectal carcinoma (n = 5),esophageal carcinoma (n = 5),lung carcinoma (n = 5),and ovary carcinoma (n=5) were also analyzed.

Results

hSBEM expression was observed in 92.54% (62/67) of breast cancer,87. 50% (14/16) of breast benign lesions and 88. 05% (59/67) of normal breast tissue,with no significant differences between them (P ＞0. 05). None of the samples from the 25 other cancer tissues were positive. In peripheral blood the expression of hSBEM was detected in 50.75% (34/67) patients with breast cancer,with significant increase (P ＜0. 05) in the cases of metastatic disease and those with lymph node metastasis compared with localized disease and without lymph node metastasis,but the expression was not found in peripheral blood of patients with benign breast lesions and healthy volunteers. The expression of hSBEM had no correlation with the age of the patients,size of primary tumor,histological type and estrogen or progestin receptor status (P ＞0. 05).

Conclusions

hSBEM,as assessed by nested RT-PCR,shows a mammary-specific and mammary-sensitive expression,and is a sensitive indicator of hematogeneous spread of breast cancer cell.hSBEM is a promising molecular biomarker in detecting breast cancer micrometastases.