Detection of mycoplasma infection in circulating tumor cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

作者：Choi Hong Seo; Lee Hyun Min; Kim Won Tae; Kim Min Kyu; Chang Hee Jin; Lee Hye Ran; Joh Jae Won; Kim Dae Shick^*; Ryu Chun Jeih

来源：Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2014, 446(2): 620-625.

DOI：10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.03.024

• Circulating tumor cell
• Mycoplasmal p37 protein
• Monoclonal antibody CA27
• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Metastasis

Many studies have shown that persistent infections of bacteria promote carcinogenesis and metastasis. Infectious agents and their products can modulate cancer progression through the induction of host inflammatory and immune responses. The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is considered as an important indicator in the metastatic cascade. We unintentionally produced a monoclonal antibody (MAb) CA27 against the mycoplasmal p37 protein in mycoplasma-infected cancer cells during the searching process of novel surface markers of CFCs. Mycoplasma-infected cells were enriched by CA27-conjugated magnetic beads in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and analyzed by confocal microscopy with anti-CD45 and CA27 antibodies. CD45-negative and CA27-positive cells were readily detected in three out of seven patients (range 12-30/8.5 ml blood), indicating that they are mycoplasma-infected circulating epithelial cells. CA27-positive cells had larger size than CD45-positive hematological lineage cells, high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratios and irregular nuclear morphology, which identified them as CTCs. The results show for the first time the existence of mycoplasma-infected CTCs in patients with HCC and suggest a possible correlation between mycoplasma infection and the development of cancer metastasis.

• 出版日期2014-4-4