Detection of colon cancer by monitoring the intracellular fluorescein fluorescence polarization changes in lymphocytes

Structuredness of the cytoplasmic matrix (SCM)-responding lymphocytes from healthy donors can be differentiated from SCM-responding lymphocytes of patients with malignant disease on the basis of the change in the intracellular fluorescein fluorescence polarization (IFFP) induced by their exposure to various antigens. We have found that the overall sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of the test were 92.0, 92.6, 96.3, and 84.7% respectively. We demonstrated the capability of the test to distinguish between healthy people and colorectal cancer patients per stage of the disease. We also found a significant difference in IFFP values between Dukes' C patients and patients with metastatic disease, rendering the test potentially helpful in follow-up.