Molecular Screening of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Detection of LMP-1, LMP-2 Gene Expression in Vietnamese Nasopharyngeal Swab Samples

Hypermethylation of genes on chromosome 3p as a biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis: A Vietnamese case-control study

BACKGROUND

The crucial event driving nasopharyngeal tumorigenesis is the hypermethylation of chromosome 3p-located tumor suppressor genes. This case-control study aims to investigate the methylation characteristics of RASSF1A, Blu, ADAMTS9, and DLEC1 to potentially develop effective diagnostic biomarkers for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, either individually or in combination.

METHODS

The methylation of RASSF1A, Blu, ADAMTS9, and DLEC1 in the collection of 93 biopsy samples and 100 healthy swab specimens were evaluated by Nested methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. The strength of the correlation between candidate genes and nasopharyngeal carcinoma was estimated by the evaluation of odds ratios (ORs).

RESULTS

Promoter hypermethylation of RASSF1A, Blu, ADAMTS9, and DLEC1 were found in 60.22%, 80.65%, 62.37%, and 74.19%, respectively, in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tumors. A significant association between the methylation status of candidate genes with nasopharyngeal carcinoma was reported. The methylation of candidate genes significantly increased the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in cancerous samples compared with control samples (OR > 1). Based on the value of the methylation index, methylation of at least one gene was found in 95.70% of nasopharyngeal tumors. Additionally, the methylation index among 93 tumors significantly correlated with advanced stage nasopharyngeal tumors.

CONCLUSION

The study explored a higher frequency of hypermethylation at least one candidate gene. Methylation of a panel of potential genes can be utilized to discriminate between nasopharyngeal carcinoma and non-cancer cells, particularly in the advanced stages of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Thus, it could serve as a valuable marker for the diagnosis and monitoring of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Research progress and application of single-cell sequencing in head and neck malignant tumors

Single-cell sequencing (SCS) is a technology that separates thousands of cells from the organism and accurately analyzes the genetic material expressed in each cell using high-throughput sequencing technology. Unlike the traditional bulk sequencing approach, which can only provide the average value of a cell population and cannot obtain specific single-cell data, single-cell sequencing can identify the gene sequence and expression changes of a single cell, and reflects the differences between genetic material and protein between cells, and ultimately the role played by the tumor microenvironment. single-cell sequencing can further explore the pathogenesis of head and neck malignancies from the single-cell biological level and provides a theoretical basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of head and neck malignancies. This article will systematically introduce the latest progress and application of single-cell sequencing in malignant head and neck tumors.

Circulating microRNAs as the Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

microRNAs are endogenous non-coding miRNAs, 19–25 nucleotides in length, that can be detected in the extracellular environment in stable forms, named circulating miRNAs (CIR-miRNAs). Since the first discovery of CIR-miRNAs, a large number of studies have demonstrated that the abnormal changes in its expression could be used to significantly distinguish nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from healthy cells. We herein reviewed and highlighted recent advances in the study of CIR-miRNAs in NPC, which pointed out the main components serving as promising and effective biomarkers for NPC diagnosis and prognosis. Furthermore, brief descriptions of its origin and unique characteristics are provided.

Simultaneously Both Expression of LMP-1 and Methylation of E-cadherin: Molecular Biomarker in Stage IV of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients

The phenome of E-cadherin gene methylation and the expression of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) gene are associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In order to determine whether cooperative LMP-1 expression or methylation of E-cadherin could serve as the potential molecule biomarker target for diagnosis and therapy of NPC, a case-control study including 93 NPC biopsy samples and 100 non cancerous nasopharyngeal swab samples were examined, as well as the strength of association among them by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and nested-methylation-specific PCR methods. The significantly higher frequency of LMP-1 expression and E-cadherin methylation in NPC biopsy samples, accounting for 76.34 and 73.12%, respectively, compared to non cancerous samples, accounting for 0.00 and 30.00%, respectively, were observed. The significant correlation between the LMP-1 expression and E-cadherin methylation in NPC samples was reported. In detail, in the stage IV of NPC, in case of LMP-1-positive samples, 35 of 37 samples (accounting for 94.60%) were positive for methylation of E-cadherin. It was demonstrated that cooperative LMP-1 expression and E-cadherin gene methylation could serve as a molecular biomarker in NPC.