Markers metastatic potential

Since certain proteases are directly involved in cancer invasion and metastasis, levels of these proteases in primary cancers should be strong markers of metastatic potential or poor patient outcome. 

Rolland, P.H., Martin, P.M., Jacquemier, J., Rolland, A.M., and Toga, M. (1980) Prostaglandin in Human Breast Cancer Evidence Suggesting That an Elevated Prostaglandin Production Is a Marker of High Metastatic Potential for Neoplastic Cells, J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 64,1061-1070. 

More recent genetic data suggested that the metastatic potential cannot be acquired late in local progression in rare variant cells, but that dissemination of tumour cells begins very early after transformation. Primary tumours may often be poor surrogate markers for the genetics of disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) and thereby for response to adjuvant therapies. 

Although efforts are underway to identify markers in serum and prostate tissue, the question arose as to whether metastatic prostate cancer cell lines accurately represent in vivo disease. It was found that in vitro cell cultures (LnCaP and PC3) shared less than 20% of proteins when compared to in vivo LCM procured malignant prostate cancer. 2D-PAGE protein profiles were used to compare normal and malignant cells to immortalized cells from the same patient. Protein expression patterns were dramatically altered when cells were grown in culture and immortalized most notably, a loss of prostate specific antigen expression was observed [18]. Thus, caution must be used when working with immortalized cell lines to discover potential disease markers. 

In addition to their use m metabohc bone disease, markers of bone turnover are potentially useful tools in diagnosing and monitoring metastatic bone disease. As with metabolic bone disease, there is more evidence supporting the use of resorption markers m monitoring therapy. Additional studies are required to determine the ultimate clinical utility of bone markers in metastatic bone disease. 

Newer potential markers of choroid plexus papillomas include insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and synaptophysin. IGF-II is found in papillomas but not in normal choroid plexus.Synaptophysin is present in some normal choroid plexus, choroid plexus papilloma, and choroid plexus carcinoma but not in metastatic papillary carcinoma.Both markers may assist in the differential diagnoses of some tumors, but I find them most useful combined with traditional markers. CD44 is preferentially expressed on atypical papilloma and choroid plexus carcinoma and may be a marker of aggressive choroid plexus tumors. Aggressive tumors have higher mean MIBl Lis of These various... 

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