Methods and compositions for diagnosing epithelial cell cancer

Abstract

Provided is a method for detecting metastases of epithelial cancers, comprising detecting in non-primary tissue overexpression of a nucleic acid of KS1/4, or detecting in non-primary tissue overexpression of a combination of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and PIP, of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and mam, of nucleic acids of PIP and mam, of nucleic acids of KS1/4, PIP and mam, or of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and lunx, the overexpression of a nucleic acid of KS1/4, or the overexpression of a combination of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and PIP, of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and mam, of nucleic acids of PIP and mam, of nucleic acids of KS1/4, PIP and mam, or of nucleic acids of KS1/4 and lunx in non-primary tissue being correlated with metastases of epithelial cancers.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method for detecting metastasis of an epithelial cancer in a subject, comprising detecting in a non-primary tissue of the subject overexpression of KS1/4 mRNA and overexpression of prolactin-induced protein (PIP) mRNA compared to a normal, control level of expression of KS1/4 mRNA and a normal, control level of expression of PIP mRNA, respectively, in corresponding non-primary tissue, wherein the overexpression of KS1/4 mRNA and the overexpression of PIP mRNA in the subject's non-primary tissue indicates metastasis of an epithelial cancer in the subject. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the epithelial cancer is selected from the group consisting of non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and esophageal cancer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the epithelial cancer is breast cancer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the non-primary tissue is a lymph node, bone marrow, bone, adipose tissue, or peripheral blood. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein KS1/4 mRNA is amplified by a primer pair specifically capable of amplifying KS1/4 mRNA. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the primer pair consists of a nucleic acid comprising the nucleic acid sequence identified by SEQ ID NO:3 and a nucleic acid comprising the nucleic acid sequence identified by SEQ ID NO:4. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein PIP mRNA is amplified by a primer pair specifically capable of amplifying PIP mRNA. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the primer pair consists of a nucleic acid comprising the nucleic acid sequence identified by SEQ ID NO:5 and a nucleic acid comprising the nucleic acid sequence identified by SEQ ID NO:6.