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TS mRNA levels can predict pemetrexed and raltitrexed sensitivity in colorectal cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to analyze the relationship between tumor thymidylate synthase (TS) mRNA expression levels and raltitrexed/pemetrexed/5-FU sensitivity.

Patients and methods

We collected freshly removed colorectal tumor specimens from 50 patients. Chemosensitivities to anticancer drugs were evaluated by histoculture drug response assay. We adopted quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for TS mRNA detection and immunohistochemical staining for assessing TS expression in tumor tissues.

Results

There is a significant relationship between TS mRNA expression levels and in vitro chemosensitivity of freshly removed colorectal tumor specimens to pemetrexed (P < 0.001)/raltitrexed (P = 0.004)/5-FU (P = 0.007).

Conclusions

TS mRNA expression levels can predict pemetrexed and raltitrexed sensitivity in colorectal cancer.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by Drum Tower Hospital (Nanjing, China), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 81172094; Grant sponsor: Natural Science), the Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant Numbers: BK2011095, WS005).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, 321 Zhongshan Rd, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China

    Qun Zhang, Jie Shen, Jing Hu, Lixia Yu, Li Xie, Jia Wei, Baorui Liu & Xiaoping Qian

  2. Department of General Surgery, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, 321 Zhongshan Rd, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China

    Hao Wang & Wenxian Guan

Authors
  1. Qun Zhang
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  2. Jie Shen
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  6. Li Xie
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  9. Wenxian Guan
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  10. Xiaoping Qian
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Wenxian Guan or Xiaoping Qian.

Additional information

Qun Zhang and Jie Shen have contributed equally to this work.

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Zhang, Q., Shen, J., Wang, H. et al. TS mRNA levels can predict pemetrexed and raltitrexed sensitivity in colorectal cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 73, 325–333 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-013-2354-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-013-2354-z

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