[Transcripts of satellite DNA in blood plasma: probable markers of tumor growth]

A recent study of human normal and tumor tissues revealed a high transcriptional activity of pericentromeric satellite DNA repeats (they produce half of all transcripts in tumor cells that is many times higher than in normal ones). It was found also that the two subtypes of satellite DNA (HSATII and GSATII) are transcribed reciprocally, i.e. there is a sharp prevalence of HSATII transcription in tumors, while GSATII transcription prevails in the corresponding normal tissues. As different RNAs are present in blood plasma, and some of them serve as effectivetumor markers, we attempted for the first time to evaluate satellite HSATII and GSATII RNAs in the blood plasma of healthy donors and cancer patients. The RT-PCR protocol designed for this purpose allowed us to detect transcripts of both HSATII and GSATII repeats. As it has been shown, HSATII transcripts are more abundant than GSATII ones in plasma of healthy donors and vice versa in plasma of cancer patients; these ratios being diametrically opposed to those that exist within the cells. Some suggestions concerning origins of circulating satellite RNAs and their probable role as tumor markers are discussed.