Table 1 Primer sequences (sense (s) and anti-sense (as)), melting temperatures (Tm), annealing temperature and expected product size in nucleotides (nt) for each of the seven selected marker genes.

MUC1 s

ACCAAGACTGATGCCAGTAGCACT

65°C

MUC1 as

ACCGTTACCTGCAGAAACCTTCT

63°C

68°C

115 nt

ESX s

CTCGGAGCTCCCACTCCTCAGA

68°C

ESX as

GCTCTTCTTGCCCTCGAGACAGT

67°C

68°C

188 nt

CEA s

GGTTGGGGTTGCTCTGATATAGCAGC

70°C

CEA as

GCTGTTGCAAATGCTTTAAGGAAGAAGC

67°C

66°C

97 nt

EPHB4 s

CCCCAGGGAAGAAGGAGAGCTG

68°C

EPHB4 as

GCCCACGAGCTGGATGACTGTG

68°C

68°C

250 nt

EGFR s

TGTGAGGTGGTCCTTGGGAATTTGG

67°C

EGFR as

TGCTGACTATGTCCCGCCACTGGA

69°C

66°C

339 nt

EpCAM s

GGACCTGACAGTAAATGGGGAAC

65°C

EpCAM as

CTCTTCTTTCTGGAAATAACCAGCAC

65°C

68°C

186 nt

MGB1 s

CGGATGAAACTCTGAGCAATGTTGAG

66°C

MGB1 as

CTGCAGTTCTGTGAGCCAAAGGTC

67°C

68°C

110 nt