BACKGROUND: @entity24208 is a molecular marker used for the detection of contaminating @entity0 ( @entity0 ) cells in peripheral blood and lymph nodes. However, its specificity has been questioned recently. The objective of this study was to verify the specificity of this marker and to determine the incidence of positive bone marrow results in @entity1 with @entity0 who are eligible for high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) both in early and @entity1442 stages and before and after treatment. METHODS: Bone marrow specimens from 41 @entity1 with @entity0 as well as from 35 normal volunteers and 17 @entity1 with @entity5 were examined for @entity24208 transcript expression by a modified nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique. RESULTS: @entity24208 transcript was found in all normal and neoplastic breast tissues and in none of the 35 normal bone marrow specimens (specificity, 100%; 95% confidence interval, 90-100%). However, the transcript was found in 40% of the bone marrow samples from @entity1 with @entity1583 . Thus, this marker appears very specific for discriminating between normal controls and @entity1 with @entity0 , but it cannot be considered disease specific. Among @entity1 with @entity0 , bone marrow was positive for the @entity24208 transcript in 32% of @entity1 with early-stage disease and in 75% of @entity1 with @entity3 before chemotherapy. After treatment, in 75% of @entity1 with early-stage disease and in 50% of @entity1 with @entity3 , the bone marrow results became @entity24208 negative. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the current data, although it is not disease specific, @entity24208 is a reliable marker for detecting bone marrow @entity74 in @entity1 with @entity0 and should be considered for prospective studies as a prognostic indicator and as an assay for monitoring @entity66 .

Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction of the @entity24208 gene in the detection of bone marrow XXXX cell contamination.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity0 :: ('MESH:D001943', 'Disease') :: ['breast carcinoma', 'BC'] @entity66 :: ('MESH:D004194', 'Disease') :: ['residual disease'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['hematologic tumors'] @entity24208 :: ('5268', 'Gene') :: ['Maspin', 'maspin'] @entity1442 :: ('MESH:D020178', 'Disease') :: ['advanced disease'] @entity1583 :: ('MESH:D019337', 'Disease') :: ['hematologic malignancies'] @entity3 :: ('MESH:D009362', 'Disease') :: ['metastatic disease'] @entity74 :: ('MESH:D030342', 'Disease') :: ['molecular disease']
@entity0 :: (MESH:D001943,Disease) :: ['breast carcinoma']
