CEA, CK19, maspin | Semi-nested or nested RT-PCR | CEA: one 30 and one 20 cycle reaction | CEA/maspin: 10 T47-D cells/106 MNC | CEA: specific | 50% of samples were positive for CK19 and CEA | 28 |
| | CK19: two 35 cycle reactions | CK19: 1 T47-D cell/106 MNC | CK19 and maspin: not specific | 83% were positive for at least one of the two markers CEA and CK19 | |
| | Maspin: two 35 cycle reactions | | | 90% and 70% of maspin positive samples were positive for CEA and CK19 respectively | |
M’globin, CK19 | Nested RT-PCR | One 43 and one 40 cycle reaction | 1 tumour cell/ml of blood | Specific | 1 sample positive for both markers | 49 |
β-hCG, c-Met, MAGE-A3, β-NAcGAT | RT-PCR | One 35 cycle reaction for each marker | 1–5 tumour cells in 107 PBL for each marker | Specific | 49% patients positive for 1 marker | 73 |
| | | Each marker could be detected at total RNA concentrations ⩾1.0 ng/ml | | 15% positive for 2 markers | |
| | | | | 3% positive for 3 markers | |
| | | | | 2% positive for all four markers | |
CEA, CK19, CK20, GA733.2, MUC1 | RT-PCR and southern blot | One 35 cycle reaction for each marker | 10 ng RNA of each of the markers could be detected by southern blotting | CK20: specific | ND | 74 |
| | | | All other markers: not specific | | |
MUC1, CK19, CD44 | RT-PCR and nested RT-PCR | MUC1: one 30 cycle reaction | MUC1: 1 MCF-7 cell/ml of blood | CK19: specific | ND | 75 |
| | CK19: one 40 cycle reaction and one 35 cycle reaction | CK19: 104 MCF-7 cells/10 ml of blood | MUC1 and CD44: not specific | | |
| | CD44: one 20 cycle reaction and one 30 cycle reaction | | | | |
Maspin, CK19 | Nested RT-PCR | Two 35 cycle reactions | 10 MCF-7 cell in 106 PBMN | Maspin: specific | ND | 76 |
| | | | CK19: not specific | | |
CK19, MUC1, CEA | RT-PCR, semi-nested, and nested RT-PCR | CK19: One 35 and one 30 cycle reaction | MUC1 and CK19: 1 T47-D cell/106 PBMN | CK19 and CEA: specific | All CEA positive patients were positive for CK19. | 77 |
| | MUC1: one 35 cycle reaction | CEA: 1 T47-D cell/5×105 PBMN | MUC 1: not specific | Not all CK19 positive patients were CEA positive | |
| | CEA: one 20 cycle reaction and one 30 cycle reaction | | | | |
CK19, MUC1, CEA | RT-PCR, semi-nested, or nested RT-PCR | CK19: two 35 cycle reactions | CEA (A): 1 MCF-7 cell in 102 PBMN; CEA (B): 1 MCF-7 cell in 103 PBMN | CK19 and MUC1, not specific | ND | 78 |
| | MUC1: one 35 cycle reaction | | CEA: specific unless treated with G-CSF | | |
| | CEA (A): one 20 cycle reaction and one 30 cycle reaction | | | | |
| | CEA (B): 33–40 cycles | | | | |
M’globin, CK19, EGFR | Nested RT-PCR | M’globin and EGFR: two 40 cycle reactions | 1 MD-MBA-361 cell in every 106 PBMN | M’globin: specific | 5 patients m’globin/CK19 positive and 2 patients positive for all 3 markers | 79 |
| | CK19: two 30 cycle reactions | | CK19 and EGFR: not specific | | |
Maspin, m’globin, CK19, CK20, CEA, MUC1, EGFR | Nested RT-PCR | MUC1/EGFR/CEA: two 30 cycle reactions | 1–10 MCF7 or SKBR-3 cells/106 PBMN cells for all assays | Maspin, CK20, and m’globin: specific | ND | 80 |
| | CK19: two 35 cycle reactions | | CK19, CEA | | |
| | CK20: two 32 cycle reactions | | MUC1, EGFR: not specific | | |
| | Mammaglobin: one 32 cycle and one 35 cycle reaction | | | | |
| | Maspin: one 30 cycle and one 35 cycle reaction | | | | |
Maspin, m’globin, c-ErbB2 | Q RT-PCR | One 40 cycle reaction for each marker | Maspin and m’globin: 1 MCF-7 cell in 103 PBMN | Maspin and m’globin: specific | ND | 81 |
| | | Maspin: 1 ng MCF-7 total cDNA | c-ErbB-2: not specific | | |
| | | M’globin: 100 pg MCF-7 total cDNA | | | |
CK19, CK20, EGFR | RT-PCR | CK19: one 40 cycle reaction | ND | CK19 and CK20: not specific | 5% positive for both CK19 and EGFR | 82 |
| | CK20: one 42 cycle reaction | | EGFR: specific | | |
| | EGFR: one 33 cycle reaction | | | | |
CK19, CK20, β-hCG | RT-PCR | Not detailed | CK19/CK20: 1 MCF-7 cell in 105 HL-60 cells; β-hCG 1: MCF-7 cell in 106 HL-60 cells | CK19: not specific | CK19/CK20: 9.72% | 83 |
| | | | CK20 and β-hCG: specific | CK20/β-hCG: 13.9% | |
| | | | | CK19/β-hCG: 18.1% | |
MUC1, CK19, PIP, m’globin, m’globin B, PSE | Q RT-PCR | One 40 cycle reaction for each marker | 1 MDA-361 cell in 5×108 PBL | MUC1: not specific | 20% patients expressed 1 marker | 84 |
| | | | CK19, PIP, m’globin | 25% patients expressed 3 markers | |
| | | | m’globin B, PSE: specific | 20% patients expressed 4 or more markers | |