We investigated whether detection of cytokeratin-positive (CK؉) cells in the peripheral blood (PB) of breast cancer patients before chemotherapy could be a prognostic factor. Blood from a total of 92 breast cancer patients was evaluated for the presence of CK؉ cells. Blood samples were collected before chemotherapy. Patients entered in the study included: neoadjuvant (n ‫؍‬ 25), adjuvant (n ‫؍‬ 42) and metastatic (n ‫؍‬ 25). Blood samples (10 ml) were centrifuged using a double density-gradient to recovering the mononuclear cell (MNC) and granulocyte cell (GC) fractions. Subsequently, positive immunomagnetic cell separation was carried out to isolating CK؉ cells. The enriched cell fraction was cytocentrifuged and then immunocytochemically labeled using an anti-cytokeratin antibody. Our results indicated that breast tumor cells sediment with both MNC and GC fractions. We showed that using the method we present, the detection of CK؉ cells in PB before starting the chemotherapy in breast cancer patients was significantly correlated with both progression-free survival (p ‫؍‬ 0.058) and overall survival (p ‫؍‬ 0.003). In conclusion, the present study suggests that detection of CK؉ cells in PB before chemotherapy might identify breast cancer patients with poor prognosis. Breast cancers have been shown to shed tumor cells into the circulation at the earliest stages of primary tumor development. It is accepted that it is the early hematogenous dissemination of the tumor that decides the patient's fate. Fehm et al. 1 have reported that circulating epithelial cells in breast cancer patients are malignant. The potential of circulating tumor cells to form metastases in vivo has been reported by Pretlow et al. 2 They showed the capacity to induce metastases in nude mice from tumor cells taken directly from the peripheral blood (PB) of patients. Thus, the early detection of circulating tumor cells may have important therapeutic and prognostic implications. It could be an independent prognostic factor that could identify the patients who are most likely to benefit from adjuvant therapy. Immunological and molecular methods have been used for detecting circulating tumor cells, 3 but it has not been possible to standardize a method internationally. This could explain the contradictory results obtained by different groups.We investigated whether detection of cytokeratin-positive (CKϩ) cells in PB of breast cancer patients before chemotherapy could be a prognostic factor. Cytokeratin is a valuable marker for breast tumor cell in PB. Blood from a total of 92 breast cancer patients was evaluated for the presence of CKϩ cells. Blood samples were collected before chemotherapy just when the patients were included in this study. Patients entered in the study included: neoadjuvant (n ϭ 25), adjuvant (n ϭ 42) and metastatic (n ϭ 25). Correlation of CKϩ cells with patient characteristics and with well established prognostic parameters were carried out. We have used an immunomagnetic separation procedure for the detection of circulating tumo...

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Although ultrafiltration membranes have been used for the separation of macromolecules and colloids from solutions, this process has a limited application in the removal of dyes present in coloured discharges of textile industry, as these typically have much lower molecular weight than the molecular cut-off of the membranes (MWCO). In the present work, we have evaluated the behaviour of a polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane in the removal of different dyes from aqueous solutions (Congo red, methyl green and amaranth). Different variables (tangential flow rate, concentration of dye and pH of the feed) were studied to determine their influence on the separation processes (permeate flux and rejection coefficient). The results show that Congo red is easily removed with a GR60PP membrane (MWCO = 25 kDa), whereas methyl green and amaranth show rejection coefficient values of approximately 25.78% and 13.85%, respectively, at neutral pH. Also, an interesting effect is observed for the rejection coefficient for methyl green at different pH values. In addition, several treatments were performed to the membrane so as to modify its surface, trying to improve the values obtained for permeate flux and rejection rate.