Expression of Stem Cell and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Markers in Circulating Tumor Cells of Breast Cancer Patients

Table 3

EMT markers in CTC of breast cancer patients.

Author	Year	𝑁	Method	EMT marker	Expression rate in CTC
Kasimir-Bauer et al. [17]	2012	502^1	RT-PCR	TWIST1, Akt2; PI3K𝛼	72%^3,∗, 18%^4,∗
Giordano et al. [18]	2012	28^2	RT-PCR	TWIST1; SNAIL1; ZEB1; TG2	88%*
Barriere et al. [19]	2012	24^1	RT-PCR	TWIST1; Akt2; PI3K𝛼	13%; 13%; 67%
Mego et al. [77]	2012	21^2	RT-PCR	TWIST1; SNAIL1	26%; 21%
Armstrong et al. [75]	2011	16^2	IFC	Vimentin; N-cadherin	70%; 67%
Kallergi et al. [76]	2011	50^1,2	IFC	TWIST1; Vimentin	73%^1, 100%^2; 77%^1, 100%^2
Mego et al. [74]	2011	52^1	RT-PCR	TWIST1; SNAIL1; SLUG; ZEB1; FoxC2	15,4%*
Raimondi et al. [78]	2011	92^1,2	RT-PCR	Vimentin; Fibronectin	28%^3, 38%^4; 18%^3, 35%^4
Aktas et al. [20]	2009	39^2	RT-PCR	TWIST1; Akt2; PI3K𝛼	62%^3,∗, 7%^4,∗

1Primary breast cancer, ²metastatic breast cancer, ³CTC positive group, ⁴CTC negative group; *at least one EMT marker was expressed, PFS: progression free survival.