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. 2022 Sep 21;12:988458. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.988458

Figure 2.

Figure 2

RNA in situ hybridization-based phenotypic classification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and plasma Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA level in each group. (A) A representative phenotypic classification of CTCs from a patient (case 1#) with nasopharyngeal carcinoma is shown. Cells stained with epithelial (red fluorescent probe) and mesenchymal (green fluorescent probe) markers were classified as epithelial and mesenchymal CTCs, respectively. Cells stained with both red and green fluorescent probes were classified as epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) hybrid CTCs. Nine CTCs were detected in case 1, of which 66.7% (6/9) were E/M hybrid CTCs. The patient was assigned to the E/M hybrid-predominant group for follow-up. (B) Six CTCs were detected in another patient (case 7#), of which 16.7% (1/6) were E/M hybrid CTCs. The patient was assigned to the non-E/M hybrid-predominant group. The cells were analyzed under a fluorescence microscope with a 100× oil objective. (C) The various epithelial and mesenchymal makers are indicated with red and green fluorescent probes, respectively. (D) Comparison of the plasma EBV DNA level between the E/M hybrid-predominant and non-E/M hybrid-predominant groups.