Circulating cell-free mRNA in plasma as a tumor marker for patients with primary and recurrent gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND The diagnostic value of circulating mRNA for the early detection of primary and recurrent gastric cancer was evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS Circulating hTERT and MUC1 mRNA were amplified in the plasma from 52 gastric cancer patients (40 preoperative and 12 postoperative patients) and 20 healthy controls. The results were compared with those of a circulating cancer cell assay and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS Cell-free mRNA of the analyzed genes was detected in 6 (15%) preoperative gastric cancer patients (hTERT: 3 and MUC1: 4 patients) and 2 follow-up patients. These mRNAs were not detected in the plasma from healthy volunteers. There was no correlation between the results of the cell-free mRNA and the other assays. CONCLUSION Detection of circulating cell-free mRNA might serve as a new complementary tumor marker for gastric cancer.