Studies on multidrug resistance (MDR) require a sensitive and quantitative assay of mRNA expression in clinical tumor samples. Based on the small size, heterogenity, and the possibility of partial degradation of clinical specimens, unambiguous data are often difficult to obtain. The aim of the present study was to develop a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in combination with nested PCR for quantitative analyses of mRNA expression of MDR1, MRP (multidrug resistance protein), and DNA topoisomerase IIalpha in small amounts of tumor tissue. RNA samples extracted from the human cell line RPMI 8226 and its MDR sublines 8226/Dox6 and DOXint40c, that overexpress MDR1 and MRP, respectively, were used as model substrates. In the first step, cDNAs of the three genes as well as of the housekeeping gene beta-actin were simultaneously amplified in single tubes using 20 cycles of PCR after random-primed reverse transcription. When necessary, a second amplification step of the preamplified PCR products was employed using nested primer pairs. Primer competition was evaluated by analyses of serially diluted amounts of cDNA and at different numbers of PCR cycles. Based on the results obtained, this multiplex/nested PCR approach may provide a base for quantitative analyses of MDR1, MRP, and topoisomerase IIalpha mRNA expression in clinical tumor biopsies.
