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Joo JE, Mahmood K, Walker R, Georgeson P, Candiloro I, Clendenning M, Como J, Joseland S, Preston S, Graversen L, Wilding M, Field M, Lemon M, Wakeling J, Marfan H, Susman R, Isbister J, Edwards E, Bowman M, Kirk J, Ip E, McKay L, Antill Y, Hopper JL, Boussioutas A, Macrae FA, Dobrovic A, Jenkins MA, Rosty C, Winship IM, Buchanan DD. Identifying primary and secondary MLH1 epimutation carriers displaying low-level constitutional MLH1 methylation using droplet digital PCR and genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of colorectal cancers. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:95. [PMID: 37270516 PMCID: PMC10239107 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01511-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MLH1 epimutation is characterised by constitutional monoallelic MLH1 promoter hypermethylation, which can cause colorectal cancer (CRC). Tumour molecular profiles of MLH1 epimutation CRCs were used to classify germline MLH1 promoter variants of uncertain significance and MLH1 methylated early-onset CRCs (EOCRCs). Genome-wide DNA methylation and somatic mutational profiles of tumours from two germline MLH1: c.-11C > T and one MLH1: c.-[28A > G; 7C > T] carriers and three MLH1 methylated EOCRCs (< 45 years) were compared with 38 reference CRCs. Methylation-sensitive droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) was used to detect mosaic MLH1 methylation in blood, normal mucosa and buccal DNA. RESULTS Genome-wide methylation-based Consensus Clustering identified four clusters where the tumour methylation profiles of germline MLH1: c.-11C > T carriers and MLH1 methylated EOCRCs clustered with the constitutional MLH1 epimutation CRCs but not with the sporadic MLH1 methylated CRCs. Furthermore, monoallelic MLH1 methylation and APC promoter hypermethylation in tumour were observed in both MLH1 epimutation and germline MLH1: c.-11C > T carriers and MLH1 methylated EOCRCs. Mosaic constitutional MLH1 methylation in MLH1: c.-11C > T carriers and 1 of 3 MLH1 methylated EOCRCs was identified by methylation-sensitive ddPCR. CONCLUSIONS Mosaic MLH1 epimutation underlies the CRC aetiology in MLH1: c.-11C > T germline carriers and a subset of MLH1 methylated EOCRCs. Tumour profiling and ultra-sensitive ddPCR methylation testing can be used to identify mosaic MLH1 epimutation carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihoon E Joo
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, 305 Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3000, Australia.
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Khalid Mahmood
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, 305 Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne Bioinformatics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Romy Walker
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, 305 Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter Georgeson
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, 305 Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ida Candiloro
- Beacon Biomarkers Lab, Department of Surgery, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Mark Clendenning
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, 305 Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Julia Como
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, 305 Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Sharelle Joseland
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, 305 Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Susan Preston
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, 305 Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Lise Graversen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mathilda Wilding
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Field
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michelle Lemon
- Genetic Health Queensland, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Janette Wakeling
- Genetic Health Queensland, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
- Tasman Health Care, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - Helen Marfan
- Genetic Health Queensland, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Rachel Susman
- Genetic Health Queensland, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Joanne Isbister
- Genomic Medicine and Family Cancer Clinic, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Emma Edwards
- Familial Cancer Service, Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Michelle Bowman
- Familial Cancer Service, Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Judy Kirk
- Familial Cancer Service, Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Emilia Ip
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Lynne McKay
- The Cabrini Family Cancer Clinic, Cabrini Health, Malvern, VIC, Australia
| | - Yoland Antill
- Genomic Medicine and Family Cancer Clinic, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- The Cabrini Family Cancer Clinic, Cabrini Health, Malvern, VIC, Australia
| | - John L Hopper
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | - Alex Boussioutas
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Finlay A Macrae
- Genomic Medicine and Family Cancer Clinic, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Colorectal Medicine and Genetics, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Alexander Dobrovic
- Beacon Biomarkers Lab, Department of Surgery, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Mark A Jenkins
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | - Christophe Rosty
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, 305 Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Envoi Specialist Pathologists, Brisbane, Australia
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ingrid M Winship
- Genomic Medicine and Family Cancer Clinic, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Daniel D Buchanan
- Colorectal Oncogenomics Group, Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, 305 Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Genomic Medicine and Family Cancer Clinic, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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