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Short report
No evidence of tumour cells in blood of patients with glioma
  1. C Böhm1,
  2. H Wassmann2,
  3. W Paulus1
  1. 1Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital, Domagkstr. 19, 48149 Münster, Germany
  2. 2Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Münster
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr W Paulus, Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital, Domagkstr. 19, 48149 Münster, Germany;
 werner.paulus{at}uni-muenster.de

Abstract

Background: Although clinically apparent systemic metastases of gliomas are very rare, reports of gliomas developing in recipient’s transplanted organs have suggested that haematogenous spread might be more common.

Methods: This report describes a newly developed, sensitive real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of mRNA encoding glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Blood from 10 patients with astrocytoma and 10 patients with glioblastoma was analysed.

Results: No GFAP mRNA was detected.

Conclusions: These results suggest that even subclinical metastases are very rare and are probably restricted to distinct subsets of glioma.

  • glioma
  • dissemination
  • blood
  • B2M, β2 microglobulin
  • GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein
  • RT-PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction

https://doi.org/10.1136/mp.56.3.187

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