%0 Journal Article %A STEFAN HAUSER %A MONIKA KOGEJ %A GUIDO FECHNER %A ALEXANDER VON RUECKER %A PATRICK J. BASTIAN %A JOCHEN VON PEZOLD %A ROLAND VORREUTHER %A GERD LÜMMEN %A STEFAN C. MÜLLER %A JÖRG ELLINGER %T Cell-free Serum DNA in Patients with Bladder Cancer: Results of a Prospective Multicenter Study %D 2012 %J Anticancer Research %P 3119-3124 %V 32 %N 8 %X Background/Aim: Cell-free DNA may serve as a biomarker for patients with cancer; we designed our study to determine its potential in patients with bladder cancer (BCA). Materials and Methods: Short β-actin (ACTB)-106 and large ACTB-384 fragments were quantified using real time PCR (RT-PCR); the ratio of ACTB-384/ACTB-106 was defined as DNA integrity. We analyzed the serum from 95 patients with and from 132 without BCA. Results: Patients with BCA had increased ACTB-106 levels and lower DNA integrity compared to patients without cancer. However, patients undergoing transurethral bladder resection (TURB) with histological exclusion of BCA had a similar ACTB-106 level and DNA integrity, as patients with BCA. Cell-free DNA was not correlated with smoker status, pT stage, grade or lymph node metastasis, or DNA integrity. There was a weak inverse correlation of age with DNA integrity in patients with BCA. Conclusion: Analysis of serum cell-free DNA levels and fragmentation patterns are of limited value regarding the identification of patients with BCA. %U https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/anticanres/32/8/3119.full.pdf