Simultaneous detection of colonic epithelial cells in portal venous and peripheral blood during colorectal cancer surgery.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to show, in certain patients, that colonic epithelial cells can be present in peripheral blood while absent in portal venous blood.

METHODS

The circulating colorectal epithelial cells were detected by a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay, which involved amplifying guanylyl cyclase C transcripts. Portal venous and peripheral blood samples were obtained at intervals from 58 patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery.

RESULTS

Circulating colonic epithelial cells were more frequently detected in portal venous blood than in peripheral blood only before mobilization of the tumor-bearing colon segment in patients with tumors of Stage B. In five other patients, before mobilization of their tumor-bearing colon segments, and in another three patients, during the mobilization, colorectal epithelial cells were detected in peripheral blood but not in portal venous blood. These eight patients had Stage C or D tumors.

CONCLUSION

In 8 of 58 patients, colorectal epithelial cells were detected in peripheral but not in portal venous blood. Metastatic deposits in lymphatic vessels or liver might be the source of these cells.