Table II.
Methods for CTC analysis.
| System | Blood volume per test (ml) | Principle of enrichment | Principle of identification | Sensitivity | Recovery rate (%) | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OncoQuick | 10–15 | Density centrifugation and a porous barrier membrane | Cytometry or RT-PCR | 1 CTC/9.5×104 WBC | 70–90 | 41,42 |
| ISET | 10 | Cell size | CK19 RT-PCR | 1 CTC/2×106 WBC | NS | 37,38 |
| MACS | 5–16 | Depletion of leukocytes or enrichment of epithelial originated cells using immunobeads | CK8/18+ cells | 1 CTC/1×106 WBC | NS | 36 |
| CellSearch (Veridex) | 7.5 | Beads coated with EpCAM | CK8/CK18/CK19+ and CD45− cells | 1 CTC/1×107 WBC | 85 | 45 |
| CTC microchip | 5 | Microposts coated with EpCAM | CK8/CK18/CK19+ and CD45− cells | 1 CTC/1×107 WBC | >65 | 43 |
| FAST | Beads coated with EpCAM | CK+ cells | 10−6 | >86 | 57 |
NS, non-significant (data not shown). WBC, white blood cells.