Improved method increases sensitivity for circulating hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Table 1 Detection of HepG2 cells in blood at different spiking levels

Spiked cells, n	ASGPR		CPS1		ASGPR + CPS1
	Detected cells, n	Detection rate	Detected cells, n	Detection rate	Detected cells, n	Detection rate
10	7 ± 1	74% ± 11%	6 ± 1	64% ± 11%	8 ± 1	84% ± 9%
50	36 ± 3	72% ± 6%	31 ± 3	62% ± 6%	44 ± 3	89% ± 7%
250	150 ± 16	60% ± 6%	140 ± 16	56% ± 6%	215 ± 11	86% ± 4%
1000	573 ± 24	57% ± 3%	531 ± 21	53% ± 2%	824 ± 21	83% ± 2%

ASGPR: Asialoglycoprotein receptor; CPS1: Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1.

Table 2 Clinicopathologic profiles and detection of circulating tumor cells in 32 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Patient ID	Age/sex	Tumor size, cm	Portal vein tumor thrombus	TNM	CTCs, n
1	70/M	> 5	+	IV	56
2	49/M	> 5	+	III	72
3	27/M	> 5	-	III	29
4	51/M	< 5	-	I	11
5	49/M	> 5	+	IV	108
6	48/F	< 5	+	III	43
7	53/M	> 5	+	IV	47
8	64/M	> 5	+	III	87
9	47/F	> 5	+	IV	92
10	62/M	> 5	+	III	51
11	35/F	< 5	-	I	0
12	42/F	< 5	-	II	23
13	57/M	< 5	-	II	26
14	41/F	< 5	-	II	23
15	71/M	> 5	+	III	72
16	37/M	< 5	-	II	15
17	47/F	< 5	-	I	13
18	65/M	> 5	-	III	33
19	65/M	< 5	-	I	5
20	63/M	> 5	+	IV	67
21	46/F	< 5	-	II	29
22	43/M	< 5	-	II	9
23	48/M	< 5	-	I	0
24	37/M	> 5	+	III	50
25	35/F	> 5	+	III	38
26	56/F	< 5	-	II	56
27	77/F	< 5	-	II	17
28	49/M	< 5	-	II	29
29	58/M	< 5	-	I	0
30	38/M	> 5	+	III	50
32	75/F	< 5	-	II	22
32	74/M	< 5	-	II	28

Tumor-node-metastasis stage (TNM) staging from the Sixth Edition of the International Union Against Cancer.