THE USE OF RT-NESTED PCR OF PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN TO DETECT HEMATOGENOUS NEOPLASTIC-CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH PROSTATE ADENOCARCINOMA

The aim of this study was to determine the presence of hematogenous ne oplastic cells in patients with prostate cancer. We used a reverse tra nscription (RT) ''nested'' polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of prostate -specific antigen (PSA) mRNA to detect the presence of circulating tur ner cells in 52 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy with lymp hadenectomy. Blood samples were obtained before and after the surgical manipulation. Seven (13.5%) preoperative samples presented evidence o f circulating neoplastic cells. All postoperative specimens studied pr esented a negative result at analysis 24 h after surgical manipulation . Although we did not find a statistical correlation between the PSA-P CR results and clinical-histopathological parameters, the presence of circulating prostate cells was strongly correlated with an elevated Gl eason score of primary tumor (P<0.01). Thus our data show the positive effect of surgical treatment in removing the metastases source. The s ensitive RT-nested PCR assay may play a crucial role in the administra tion of adjuvant therapy of patients with prostate adenocarcinoma.