Method and kit for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer from a sample of blood or blood fractions, and to a kit for said diagnosis.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A kit for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer from a sample of human whole blood and/or blood fractions comprising nucleic acids, comprising
 one or more aliquots of reagents for the quantitative analysis of the expression of human genes TSPAN8, LGALS4, CEACAM6, COL1A2 and optionally for a control constitutively expressed human gene, wherein said reagents can be separated for each gene or can be unified for one or more genes.   
     
     
         8 . The kit according to  claim 7 , wherein said reagents are Real Time PCR reagents that are selectively specific for each of said genes. 
     
     
         9 . The kit according to  claim 8 , wherein said reagents comprise primers of SEQ ID 1 and 2 for TSPAN8; primers of SEQ ID 3 and 4 for COL1A2, primers of SEQ ID 5 and 6 for LGALS4 and primers of SEQ ID 7 and 8 for CEACAM6. 
     
     
         10 . The kit according to  claim 7 , further comprising Real Time PCR primers for a mRNA of one or more constitutive (housekeeping) human genes. 
     
     
         11 . The kit according to  claim 7 , further comprising reagents for total RNA or mRNA extraction. 
     
     
         12 . The kit according to  claim 7 , further comprising one or more aliquots of total RNA or mRNA or cDNA from healthy individuals as negative controls and/or from individuals affected by colorectal cancer as positive controls. 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 7 , further comprising reagents for blood collection and red blood cell lysis. 
     
     
         14 . The kit according to  claim 10 , wherein the one or more constitutive human genes is beta-2 microglobulin (B2M). 
     
     
         15 . The kit according to  claim 14 , wherein the primers for B2M are of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 10.