Methods for detecting and classifying bladder cancer via human uroplakin genes

Abstract

The human gene for uroplakin II is identified and sequenced. Using this gene, oligonucleotide primers were constructed which were then used to identify bladder cancer cells in blood and tissue.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for identifying human bladder cancer cells, comprising: 
 a) extracting total RNA from human blood or tissue cells;    b) reverse transcribing the extracted total RNA;    c) amplifying the reverse transcribed RNA by polymerase chain reaction using oligonucleotide primers complementary to a human uroplakin gene selected from the group consisting of uroplakin Ia, uroplakin Ib, uroplakin II, and uroplakin III; and    d) detecting the presence of RNA from the human uroplakin gene in the cell so that human bladder cancer cells are identified.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said RNA extracting step extracts RNA from human blood cells.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said RNA extracting step extracts RNA from human tissue cells.  
     
     
         4 . A method for detecting the presence of mutations in a human uroplakin gene, comprising detecting in a DNA sample, via polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism methods that employ oligonucleotide primers complementary to a human uroplakin gene selected from the group consisting of uroplakin Ia, uroplakin Ib, uroplakin II, and uroplakin III, mobility-shifted bands, wherein mobility-shifted bands are indicative of a mutation in the human uroplakin gene.