Aneuploid circulating tumor endothelial cells (CTECs) affect the detection of CTC, but they are fundamentally different

Background Aneuploidy is an important criterion for tumor cell identification. Like CTCs (circulating tumor cells), many CTECs (circulating tumor endothelial cells) have chromosomal aneuploidy. Affected by tumor microenvironment and detection method, the only identification index CD31 may not be comprehensive enough, which greatly affects the accuracy of CTCs detection. Methods Here, we explored the number distribution, expression of surface tumor markers and chromosome ploidy differences of aneuploid CTECs and CTCs in a total of 98 peripheral blood from normal volunteers, benign nodules and lung cancer patients, trying to find the differences between the two and the clinical significance of CTEC. Results We found that CTCs were mainly dominated by triploid and hyperploid (pentaploid or above), The former was mainly small CTCs, and the latter was mainly large CTCs. While the aneuploid CTECs were mostly large tetraploid cells. Combined detection of total CTC and CTEC numbers helped identify benign and malignant nodules. Furthermore, tetraploid CTC and CTEC had more obvious advantages than other ploids in identifying benign and malignant nodules. Conclusions Our findings indicated that the traditional method of distinguishing tumor and non-tumor cells by aneuploidy was not accurate. The presence of aneuploidy CTECs greatly interfered with the detection of CTCs, but they were different form CTC in cell size, chromosome ploidy distribution and had certain clinical significance. Combining CTC and CTEC had better diagnostic advantages