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Frydendahl A, Rasmussen MH, Jensen SØ, Henriksen TV, Demuth C, Diekema M, Ditzel HJ, Wen SWC, Pedersen JS, Dyrskjøt L, Andersen CL. Error-Corrected Deep Targeted Sequencing of Circulating Cell-Free DNA from Colorectal Cancer Patients for Sensitive Detection of Circulating Tumor DNA. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4252. [PMID: 38673836 PMCID: PMC11049993 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a promising biomarker, reflecting the presence of tumor cells. Sequencing-based detection of ctDNA at low tumor fractions is challenging due to the crude error rate of sequencing. To mitigate this challenge, we developed ultra-deep mutation-integrated sequencing (UMIseq), a fixed-panel deep targeted sequencing approach, which is universally applicable to all colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. UMIseq features UMI-mediated error correction, the exclusion of mutations related to clonal hematopoiesis, a panel of normal samples for error modeling, and signal integration from single-nucleotide variations, insertions, deletions, and phased mutations. UMIseq was trained and independently validated on pre-operative (pre-OP) plasma from CRC patients (n = 364) and healthy individuals (n = 61). UMIseq displayed an area under the curve surpassing 0.95 for allele frequencies (AFs) down to 0.05%. In the training cohort, the pre-OP detection rate reached 80% at 95% specificity, while it was 70% in the validation cohort. UMIseq enabled the detection of AFs down to 0.004%. To assess the potential for detection of residual disease, 26 post-operative plasma samples from stage III CRC patients were analyzed. From this we found that the detection of ctDNA was associated with recurrence. In conclusion, UMIseq demonstrated robust performance with high sensitivity and specificity, enabling the detection of ctDNA at low allele frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Frydendahl
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark; (A.F.); (S.Ø.J.); (T.V.H.); (C.D.); (M.D.); (J.S.P.); (L.D.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mads Heilskov Rasmussen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark; (A.F.); (S.Ø.J.); (T.V.H.); (C.D.); (M.D.); (J.S.P.); (L.D.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sarah Østrup Jensen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark; (A.F.); (S.Ø.J.); (T.V.H.); (C.D.); (M.D.); (J.S.P.); (L.D.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Tenna Vesterman Henriksen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark; (A.F.); (S.Ø.J.); (T.V.H.); (C.D.); (M.D.); (J.S.P.); (L.D.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Christina Demuth
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark; (A.F.); (S.Ø.J.); (T.V.H.); (C.D.); (M.D.); (J.S.P.); (L.D.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mathilde Diekema
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark; (A.F.); (S.Ø.J.); (T.V.H.); (C.D.); (M.D.); (J.S.P.); (L.D.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Henrik Jørn Ditzel
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark;
- Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Jakob Skou Pedersen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark; (A.F.); (S.Ø.J.); (T.V.H.); (C.D.); (M.D.); (J.S.P.); (L.D.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Bioinformatics Research Center, Faculty of Science, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lars Dyrskjøt
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark; (A.F.); (S.Ø.J.); (T.V.H.); (C.D.); (M.D.); (J.S.P.); (L.D.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Claus Lindbjerg Andersen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark; (A.F.); (S.Ø.J.); (T.V.H.); (C.D.); (M.D.); (J.S.P.); (L.D.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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Mathios D, Johansen JS, Cristiano S, Medina JE, Phallen J, Larsen KR, Bruhm DC, Niknafs N, Ferreira L, Adleff V, Chiao JY, Leal A, Noe M, White JR, Arun AS, Hruban C, Annapragada AV, Jensen SØ, Ørntoft MBW, Madsen AH, Carvalho B, de Wit M, Carey J, Dracopoli NC, Maddala T, Fang KC, Hartman AR, Forde PM, Anagnostou V, Brahmer JR, Fijneman RJA, Nielsen HJ, Meijer GA, Andersen CL, Mellemgaard A, Bojesen SE, Scharpf RB, Velculescu VE. Detection and characterization of lung cancer using cell-free DNA fragmentomes. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5060. [PMID: 34417454 PMCID: PMC8379179 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24994-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive approaches for cell-free DNA (cfDNA) assessment provide an opportunity for cancer detection and intervention. Here, we use a machine learning model for detecting tumor-derived cfDNA through genome-wide analyses of cfDNA fragmentation in a prospective study of 365 individuals at risk for lung cancer. We validate the cancer detection model using an independent cohort of 385 non-cancer individuals and 46 lung cancer patients. Combining fragmentation features, clinical risk factors, and CEA levels, followed by CT imaging, detected 94% of patients with cancer across stages and subtypes, including 91% of stage I/II and 96% of stage III/IV, at 80% specificity. Genome-wide fragmentation profiles across ~13,000 ASCL1 transcription factor binding sites distinguished individuals with small cell lung cancer from those with non-small cell lung cancer with high accuracy (AUC = 0.98). A higher fragmentation score represented an independent prognostic indicator of survival. This approach provides a facile avenue for non-invasive detection of lung cancer. DNA from tumour cells can be detected in the blood of cancer patients. Here, the authors show that cell free DNA fragmentation patterns can identify lung cancer patients and when this information is further interrogated it can be used to predict lung cancer histological subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Mathios
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Stephen Cristiano
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jamie E Medina
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jillian Phallen
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Klaus R Larsen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Infiltrate Unit, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel C Bruhm
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Noushin Niknafs
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leonardo Ferreira
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vilmos Adleff
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jia Yuee Chiao
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alessandro Leal
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Noe
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James R White
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adith S Arun
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carolyn Hruban
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akshaya V Annapragada
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Østrup Jensen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | | | - Beatriz Carvalho
- Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Meike de Wit
- Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Patrick M Forde
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Valsamo Anagnostou
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Julie R Brahmer
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Remond J A Fijneman
- Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Jørgen Nielsen
- Department of Surgical Gastroenterology 360, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Gerrit A Meijer
- Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Anders Mellemgaard
- Department of Oncology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stig E Bojesen
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert B Scharpf
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Victor E Velculescu
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Ørntoft MBW, Jensen SØ, Øgaard N, Henriksen TV, Ferm L, Christensen IJ, Reinert T, Larsen OH, Nielsen HJ, Andersen CL. Age-stratified reference intervals unlock the clinical potential of circulating cell-free DNA as a biomarker of poor outcome for healthy individuals and patients with colorectal cancer. Int J Cancer 2020; 148:1665-1675. [PMID: 33320961 PMCID: PMC7898909 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has spurred much interest as a biomarker in oncology. However, inter- and intra-individual cfDNA levels vary greatly. Consequently, in order to base clinical decisions on cfDNA measurements, normal reference intervals are essential to avoid that ordinary variation is confused with clinically relevant change. The lack of reference intervals may potentially explain the ambiguous results reported in the field. Our study aimed to establish reference intervals and to evaluate the association between cfDNA and demographic and clinical variables, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Plasma samples and clinical data from 2817 subjects were collected including 1930 noncancer individuals and 887 CRC patients. cfDNA was measured using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The large cohort combined with robust cfDNA quantification enabled establishment of reference intervals (<67 years: 775-4860 copies/mL; ≥67 years: 807-6561 copies/mL). A cfDNA level above the age-stratified 90% percentile was prognostic of reduced survival in both noncancer individuals and CRC patients, with HR values of 2.56 and 2.01, respectively. Moreover, cfDNA levels increased significantly with age, elevated BMI and chronic diseases. In CRC, the cfDNA level was increased for Stage IV, but not Stage I to Stage III cancer. In summary, the use of reference intervals revealed that high cfDNA levels were predictive of shorter survival in both noncancer individuals and CRC patients, and that CRC development did not affect the cfDNA level until metastatic dissemination. Furthermore, cfDNA levels were impacted by age and chronic diseases. Conclusively, our study presents reference intervals that will help pave the way for clinical utilization of cfDNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai-Britt Worm Ørntoft
- Department of Surgery, Herning Regional Hospital, Herning, Denmark.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sarah Østrup Jensen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nadia Øgaard
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Tenna Vesterman Henriksen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Linnea Ferm
- Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | | | - Thomas Reinert
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ole Halfdan Larsen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Hans Jørgen Nielsen
- Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Lindbjerg Andersen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Jensen SØ, Øgaard N, Ørntoft MBW, Rasmussen MH, Bramsen JB, Kristensen H, Mouritzen P, Madsen MR, Madsen AH, Sunesen KG, Iversen LH, Laurberg S, Christensen IJ, Nielsen HJ, Andersen CL. Novel DNA methylation biomarkers show high sensitivity and specificity for blood-based detection of colorectal cancer-a clinical biomarker discovery and validation study. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:158. [PMID: 31727158 PMCID: PMC6854894 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0757-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Early detection plays an essential role to reduce colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality. While current screening methods suffer from poor compliance, liquid biopsy-based strategies for cancer detection is rapidly gaining promise. Here, we describe the development of TriMeth, a minimal-invasive blood-based test for detection of early-stage colorectal cancer. The test is based on assessment of three tumour-specific DNA methylation markers in circulating cell-free DNA. Results A thorough multi-step biomarker discovery study based on DNA methylation profiles of more than 5000 tumours and blood cell populations identified CRC-specific DNA methylation markers. The DNA methylation patterns of biomarker candidates were validated by bisulfite sequencing and methylation-specific droplet digital PCR in CRC tumour tissue and peripheral blood leucocytes. The three best performing markers were first applied to plasma from 113 primarily early-stage CRC patients and 87 age- and gender-matched colonoscopy-verified controls. Based on this, the test scoring algorithm was locked, and then TriMeth was validated in an independent cohort comprising 143 CRC patients and 91 controls. Three DNA methylation markers, C9orf50, KCNQ5, and CLIP4, were identified, each capable of discriminating plasma from colorectal cancer patients and healthy individuals (areas under the curve 0.86, 0.91, and 0.88). When combined in the TriMeth test, an average sensitivity of 85% (218/256) was observed (stage I: 80% (33/41), stage II: 85% (121/143), stage III: 89% (49/55), and stage IV: 88% (15/17)) at 99% (176/178) specificity in two independent plasma cohorts. Conclusion TriMeth enables detection of early-stage colorectal cancer with high sensitivity and specificity. The reported results underline the potential utility of DNA methylation-based detection of circulating tumour DNA in the clinical management of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Østrup Jensen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Nadia Øgaard
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Mai-Britt Worm Ørntoft
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Mads Heilskov Rasmussen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Jesper Bertram Bramsen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Søren Laurberg
- Department of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ib Jarle Christensen
- Center for Surgical Research, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Hans Jørgen Nielsen
- Center for Surgical Research, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Lindbjerg Andersen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.
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Leal A, Cristiano S, Phallen J, Fiksel J, Adleff V, Bruhm DC, Jensen SØ, Medina JE, Palsgrove DN, Niknafs N, Anagnostou V, Forde PM, Brahmer JR, Fijneman R, Johansen JS, Nielsen HJ, Meijer GA, Andersen CL, Scharpf RB, Velculescu VE. Genome-wide cell-free DNA fragmentation profiling for early cancer detection. J Clin Oncol 2019. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2019.37.15_suppl.3018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
3018 Background: Analyses of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the blood provide a noninvasive diagnostic avenue for patients with cancer. However, cfDNA analyses have largely focused on targeted sequencing of specific genes, and the characteristics of the origins and molecular features of cfDNA are poorly understood. We developed an ultrasensitive approach that allows simultaneous examination of a large number of abnormalities in cfDNA through genome-wide analysis of fragmentation patterns. Methods: We used a machine learning model to examined cfDNA fragmentation profiles of 236 patients with largely localized breast, colorectal, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, gastric, or bile duct cancer and 245 healthy individuals. Estimation of performance was determined by ten-fold cross validation repeated ten times. Results: cfDNA profiles of healthy individuals reflected nucleosomal patterns of white blood cells, while patients with cancer had altered fragmentation patterns. The degree of abnormality in fragmentation profiles during therapy closely matched levels of mutant allele fractions in cfDNA as determined using ultra-deep targeted sequencing. The sensitivity of detection ranged from 57% to > 99% among the seven cancer types at 98% specificity, with an overall AUC of 0.94. Fragmentation profiles could be used to identify the tissue of origin of the cancers to a limited number of sites in 75% of cases. Combining our approach with mutation-based cfDNA analyses detected 91% of cancer patients. Conclusions: This effort is the first study to demonstrate genome-wide cell-free DNA fragmentation abnormalities in patients with cancer. Results of these analyses highlight important properties of cfDNA and provide a facile approach for screening, early detection, and monitoring of human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Leal
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Jillian Phallen
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jacob Fiksel
- Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD
| | - Vilmos Adleff
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Valsamo Anagnostou
- Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Baltimore, MD
| | - Patrick M. Forde
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD
| | - Julie R. Brahmer
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Julia S. Johansen
- Department of Oncology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Herlev, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - Victor E. Velculescu
- Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Baltimore, MD
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Jensen SØ, Ørntoft MBW, Øgaard N, Kristensen H, Rasmussen MH, Bramsen JB, Mouritzen P, Rørbæk M, Kannerup AS, Laurberg S, Nielsen HJ, Andersen CL. Abstract 5604: Novel DNA methylation biomarkers show high sensitivity and specificity for blood-based detection of colorectal cancer - A clinical biomarker discovery and validation study. Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2018-5604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) using fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) reduces CRC mortality, and many CRC screening programs therefore use FOBT. However, FOBT is not the best approach; first, because population acceptance is low due to unpleasantness of fecal sampling; second, because bowel tumors bleed only intermittently, which limits FOBT sensitivity. Development of a novel blood-based screening approach may alleviate these problems.
Objective: This study aims to develop and validate novel blood-based biomarker assays to achieve high patient compliance, sensitivity and specificity.
Methods and materials: CRC-specific DNA methylation biomarker candidates were identified using a genome-wide discovery strategy based on >4,000 Illumina 450K DNA methylation arrays. We designed digital droplet PCR assays to detect top biomarker candidates in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) isolated from plasma. Initially, sensitivity and specificity of biomarkers were evaluated in validation cohort 1 consisting of plasma collected from 114 symptomatic CRC patients and 86 colonoscopy-confirmed healthy controls. To ensure comparable technical sensitivities for all assays in all samples, we used a fixed cfDNA input of 4,500 copies per ddPCR reaction. Next, we tested markers in validation cohort 2, a selected cohort of 8 mL plasma collected from participants in the Danish national screening program. This cohort comprised 131 asymptomatic CRCs and 869 controls enriched for comorbidities like adenomas, other cancers, diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, inflammatory bowel disease and arteriosclerosis.
Results: Our discovery identified 12 DNA methylation biomarkers. Their performance was evaluated in validation cohort 1, and the three best performing markers showed a sensitivity of 89% at a specificity of 99%, which is superior to FOBT. Sensitivity increased with stage, reaching 65%, 85%, 78% and 83% for stage I-IV, respectively. When evaluated in validation cohort 2, the sensitivity was 51% for CRC samples with an input of at least 4,500 copies of cfDNA, and sensitivity was reduced equally for all disease stages compared with results from validation cohort 1. Sensitivity correlated positively with cfDNA input, and it is therefore critical to collect sufficient plasma volumes to achieve high sensitivities in clinical practice. Finally, specificity was 92.4 % even though we enriched for comorbidities in this cohort, and specificity was 95.7% in controls with a clean colon and no comorbidities.
Conclusion: Our systematic biomarker discovery and validation study identified a three-gene DNA methylation panel with superior performance in plasma compared to FOBT.
Citation Format: Sarah Østrup Jensen, Mai-Britt Worm Ørntoft, Nadia Øgaard, Helle Kristensen, Mads Heilskov Rasmussen, Jesper Bertram Bramsen, Peter Mouritzen, Mogens Rørbæk, Anne-Sofie Kannerup, Søren Laurberg, Hans Jørgen Nielsen, Claus Lindbjerg Andersen. Novel DNA methylation biomarkers show high sensitivity and specificity for blood-based detection of colorectal cancer - A clinical biomarker discovery and validation study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5604.
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Worm Ørntoft MB, Jensen SØ, Hansen TB, Bramsen JB, Andersen CL. Comparative analysis of 12 different kits for bisulfite conversion of circulating cell-free DNA. Epigenetics 2017; 12:626-636. [PMID: 28557629 PMCID: PMC5687322 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2017.1334024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is becoming popular in the search of promising predictive and prognostic biomarkers. Among these biomarkers, cfDNA methylation markers have especially gained considerable attention. A significant challenge in the utilization of cfDNA methylation markers is the limited amount of cfDNA available for analyses; reportedly, bisulfite conversion (BSC) reduce cfDNA amounts even further. Nevertheless, few efforts have focused on ensuring high cfDNA conversion efficiency and recovery after BSC. To compare cfDNA recovery of different BSC methods, we compared 12 different commercially available BSC kits. We tested whether DNA recovery was affected by the molecular weight and/or quantity of input DNA. We also tested BSC efficiency for each kit. We found that recovery varied for DNA fragments of different lengths: certain kits recovered short fragments better than others, and only 3 kits recovered DNA fragments of <100 bp well. In contrast, DNA input amount did not seem to affect DNA recovery: for quantities spanning between 820 and ∼25,000 genome equivalents per BSC, a linear relation was found between input and recovery amount. Overall, mean recovery ranged between 9 and 32%, with BSC efficiency of 97-99.9%. When plasma cfDNA was used as input for BSC, recovery varied from 22% for the poorest and 66% for the best performing kits, while conversion efficiency ranged from 96 to 100% among different kits. In conclusion, clear performance differences exist between commercially available BSC kits, both in terms of DNA recovery and conversion efficiency. The choice of BSC kit can substantially impact the amount of converted cfDNA available for downstream analysis, which is critical in a cfDNA methylation marker setting.
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Hansen MF, Jensen SØ, Füchtbauer EM, Martensen PM. High folic acid diet enhances tumour growth in PyMT-induced breast cancer. Br J Cancer 2017; 116:752-761. [PMID: 28152548 PMCID: PMC5355920 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The B-vitamin folate is among the most studied bioactive food compound, and a dietary intake meeting the daily requirements has been found to reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases as well as preventing neural tube defects during fetal development. Several countries have therefore introduced dietary fortification with folic acid. However, clinical and animal studies suggest that folic acid has a dual role in cancer development. Methods: During the period of initial tumour progression, MMTV-PyMT (MMTV-polyoma virus middle T) transgenic mice were fed with normal diet and high folic acid diet. Results: We found that PyMT-induced breast tumours highly express the cancer-specific folate receptor (FR), a feature they share with several human epithelial cancers in which expression of FRα correlates with tumour grade. Mice receiving a high folic acid diet displayed a significantly increased tumour volume compared with mice receiving normal diet. In the largest tumours, only found in mice on high folic acid diet, STAT3 was activated. In primary cells from PyMT tumours, STAT3 was activated upon treatment with folic acid in culture. Conclusions: Our results offer a novel molecular explanation for folic acid-induced growth of existing tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Østrup Jensen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
| | | | - Pia M Martensen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
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