Detecting Micrometastasis In Peripheral Blood Of Patients With Breast Cancer By Flow Cytometry

Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of the cytokeratin 19 in peripheral blood cells of patients with breast cancer by flow cytometry .Methods: Expression of cytokeratin 19 in 62 patients of peripheral blood with breast cancer were examined by flow cytometry one week before and after operation, as well as after one period of chemical therapy with CEF,and the expression of cytokeratin 19 in 22 cases with breast benign diseases were also examined by flow cytometry one week before and after operation.At the same time,20 normal samples from women without breast diseases were examined as normal controls,EDTA was used as the anticoagulant, and liquid separation lymphocytes isolated mononuclear cells,then adding cytokeratin 19 mouse anti-human mononuclonal antibody.Statistical methods: t-test analysis and x2 analysis were used (SPSS statistical software, Version 10.0 for windows).Results: 33.87%(21 out of 62) of patients with breast cancer had CK19 positive cells in their peripheral blood. There was a significant difference compared to healthy control group and patients with benign breast disease , P<0.05. The rate of CK19 positive cells in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer in stageâ…¢was higher than that patients in stageâ…¡, P<0.05. There was no statistically significant between ER and PR positive patients and negative patients, P>0.05. Age of patients and postmenopausal status had no significant association with the expression of CK19, P>0.05. Tumor size and axillary lymph metastasis associated significantly with the expression of CK19, P<0.05. Before and after chemotherapy or surgery treatment, there was no significant differences for the expression of CK19, P>0.05.Conclusion: The expression of CK19 in peripheral blood cells correlates significantly with tumor size and axillary lymph metastasis of breast cancer.After surgical treatment and chemotherapy, the rate of CK19 positive cells become lower. But there was no significant difference. The expression of cytokeratin 19 in peripheral blood could be useful for prognosis and direction of adjuvant therapy of patients with breast cancer by flow cytometry.