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Tsoneva DK, Ivanov MN, Vinciguerra M. Liquid Liver Biopsy for Disease Diagnosis and Prognosis. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2023; 11:1520-1541. [PMID: 38161500 PMCID: PMC10752811 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2023.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver diseases are a major burden worldwide, the scope of which is expected to further grow in the upcoming years. Clinically relevant liver dysfunction-related blood markers such as alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase have limited accuracy. Nowadays, liver biopsy remains the gold standard for several liver-related pathologies, posing a risk of complication due to its invasive nature. Liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive approach, which has shown substantial potential in the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of liver diseases by detecting disease-associated particles such as proteins and RNA molecules in biological fluids. Histones are the core components of the nucleosomes, regulating essential cellular processes, including gene expression and DNA repair. Following cell death or activation of immune cells, histones are released in the extracellular space and can be detected in circulation. Histones are stable in circulation, have a long half-life, and retain their post-translational modifications. Here, we provide an overview of the current research on histone-mediated liquid biopsy methods for liver diseases, with a focus on the most common detection methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desislava K. Tsoneva
- Department of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Varna, Varna, Bulgaria
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Transplantology, Research Institute, Medical University of Varna, Varna, Bulgaria
| | - Martin N. Ivanov
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Transplantology, Research Institute, Medical University of Varna, Varna, Bulgaria
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Research Institute, Medical University of Varna, Varna, Bulgaria
| | - Manlio Vinciguerra
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Transplantology, Research Institute, Medical University of Varna, Varna, Bulgaria
- Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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2
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Guo P, Zheng H, Li Y, Li Y, Xiao Y, Zheng J, Zhu X, Xu H, He Z, Zhang Q, Chen J, Qiu M, Jiang M, Liu P, Chen H. Hepatocellular carcinoma detection via targeted enzymatic methyl sequencing of plasma cell-free DNA. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:2. [PMID: 36600275 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01420-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic variants carried by circulating tumor DNA can be used as biomarkers for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by noninvasive liquid biopsy. However, traditional methylation analysis method, bisulfite sequencing, with disadvantages of severe DNA damage, is limited in application of low-amount cfDNA analysis. RESULTS Through mild enzyme-mediated conversion, enzymatic methyl sequencing (EM-seq) is ideal for precise determination of cell-free DNA methylation and provides an opportunity for HCC early detection. EM-seq of methylation control DNA showed that enzymatic conversion of unmethylated C to U was more efficient than bisulfite conversion. Moreover, a relatively large proportion of incomplete converted EM-seq reads contains more than 3 unconverted CH site (CH = CC, CT or CA), which can be removed by filtering to improve accuracy of methylation detection by EM-seq. A cohort of 241 HCC, 76 liver disease, and 279 normal plasma samples were analyzed for methylation value on 1595 CpGs using EM-seq and targeted capture. Model training identified 283 CpGs with significant differences in methylation levels between HCC and non-HCC samples. A HCC screening model based on these markers can efficiently distinguish HCC sample from non-HCC samples, with area under the curve of 0.957 (sensitivity = 90%, specificity = 97%) in the test set, performing well in different stages as well as in serum α-fetoprotein/protein induced by vitamin K absence-II negative samples. CONCLUSION Filtering of reads with ≥ 3 CHs derived from incomplete conversion can significantly reduce the noise of EM-seq detection. Based on targeted EM-seq analysis of plasma cell-free DNA, our HCC screening model can efficiently distinguish HCC patients from non-HCC individuals with high sensitivity and specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Guo
- School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, Fujian, People's Republic of China.,Xiamen Vangenes Biotechnology CO., LTD, Xiamen, 361015, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Hailing Zheng
- Xiamen Vangenes Biotechnology CO., LTD, Xiamen, 361015, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Yihan Li
- Xiamen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, 361001, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuntong Li
- Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Xiao
- Xiamen Vangenes Biotechnology CO., LTD, Xiamen, 361015, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Zheng
- Xiamen Vangenes Biotechnology CO., LTD, Xiamen, 361015, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingqiang Zhu
- Xiamen Vangenes Biotechnology CO., LTD, Xiamen, 361015, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Huan Xu
- Xiamen Vangenes Biotechnology CO., LTD, Xiamen, 361015, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi He
- Xiamen Vangenes Biotechnology CO., LTD, Xiamen, 361015, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Xiamen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, 361001, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinchun Chen
- Xiamen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, 361001, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingshan Qiu
- Xiamen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, 361001, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Jiang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350003, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Pingguo Liu
- Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongliang Chen
- Xiamen Vangenes Biotechnology CO., LTD, Xiamen, 361015, Fujian, People's Republic of China. .,School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
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3
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RASSF1A and p16 promoter methylation and treatment response in chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b patients treated with pegylated interferon/ribavirin. ARCH BIOL SCI 2022. [DOI: 10.2298/abs211208004k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevention of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and its complications is based on
antiviral therapy and early detection of reliable molecular markers in
persons under risk. We investigated whether the methylation status of
RASSF1A and p16 genes, alone or in combination with host and viral factors,
affects the response to therapy with pegylated interferon/ribavirin (PEGIFN/
RBV). Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was used to
determine the methylation status of the target promoter sequences of RASSF1A
and p16 in circulating-free DNA from the peripheral blood of 49 patients
with CHC genotype 1b. The methylation status of the examined genes did not
affect the response to therapy. However, the simultaneous presence of either
RASSF1A or p16 methylation and the CC genotype of IL28B was significantly
related to a sustained virologic response (P=0.009 and P=0.032,
respectively). After Bonferroni correction, only the result concerning the
RASSF1A gene remained significant (P<0.0125). Methylation of RASSF1A was
associated with the CC genotype of the IL28B gene (P=0.024) and a higher
viral load (?400 000 IU/mL, P=0.009). Our results suggest that combined
analysis of RASSF1A gene methylation and IL28B rs12979860 polymorphism could
potentially help in the prediction of therapy response in CHC genotype 1b
patients.
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Misawa K, Yamada S, Mima M, Nakagawa T, Kurokawa T, Imai A, Mochizuki D, Shinmura D, Yamada T, Kita J, Ishikawa R, Yamaguchi Y, Misawa Y, Kanazawa T, Kawasaki H, Mineta H. Long interspersed nuclear element 1 hypomethylation has novel prognostic value and potential utility in liquid biopsy for oral cavity cancer. Biomark Res 2020; 8:53. [PMID: 33110605 PMCID: PMC7585304 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-020-00235-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background New biomarkers are urgently needed to improve personalized treatment approaches for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Global DNA hypomethylation has wide-ranging functions in multistep carcinogenesis, and the hypomethylation of long interspersed nucleotide element-1 (LINE-1) is related to increased retrotransposon activity and induced genome instability. However, little information is available regarding LINE-1 hypomethylation and its prognostic implications in HNSCC. Methods In this study, we analyzed LINE-1 hypomethylation levels in a well-characterized dataset of 317 primary HNSCC tissues and 225 matched pairs of normal mucosa tissues, along with five oral cavity cancer (OCC) circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) samples using quantitative real-time methylation and unmethylation PCR. The analysis was performed according to various clinical characteristics and prognostic implications. Results The results demonstrated that LINE-1 hypomethylation levels were significantly higher in the HNSCC tissues than in corresponding normal tissues from the same individuals (P < 0.001). Univariate analysis revealed that high levels of LINE-1 hypomethylation were correlated with poor disease-free survival (DFS; log-rank test, P = 0.038), whereas multivariate analysis demonstrated that they were significant independent prognostic factor for DFS (hazard ratio: 2.10, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–4.36; P = 0.045). Moreover, samples with high LINE-1 hypomethylation levels exhibited the greatest decrease in 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) levels and increase in tumor-suppressor gene methylation index (P = 0.006 and P < 0.001, respectively). Further, ctDNA studies also showed that LINE-1 hypomethylation had high predictive ability in OCC. Conclusions LINE-1 hypomethylation is associated with a higher risk of early OCC relapse, and is hence, a potential predictive biomarker for OCC. Furthermore, 5-hmC levels also exhibited predictive potential in OCC, based on their inverse correlation with LINE-1 hypomethylation levels. LINE-1 hypomethylation analysis, therefore, has applications in determining patient prognosis and real-time surveillance of disease recurrence, and could serve as an alternative method for OCC screening. Supplementary information Supplementary information accompanies this paper at 10.1186/s40364-020-00235-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyoshi Misawa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Satoshi Yamada
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Masato Mima
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Takuya Nakagawa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tomoya Kurokawa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Atsushi Imai
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Daiki Mochizuki
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Daichi Shinmura
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Taiki Yamada
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Junya Kita
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Ryuji Ishikawa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Yuki Yamaguchi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Yuki Misawa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
| | - Takeharu Kanazawa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi Japan
| | - Hideya Kawasaki
- Preeminent Medical Photonics Education and Research Center Institute for NanoSuit Research, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Mineta
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology /Head and Neck Surgery, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192 Japan
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Mostafa WSEM, Al-Dahr MHS, Omran DAH, Abdullah ZF, Elmasry SH, Ibrahim MN. Influence of some methylated hepatocarcinogenesis-related genes on the response to antiviral therapy and development of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients. Clin Mol Hepatol 2019; 26:60-69. [PMID: 31630500 PMCID: PMC6940485 DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2019.0051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim Epigenetics involved in multiple normal cellular processes. Previous research have revealed the role of hepatitis C virus infection in accelerating methylation process and affecting response to treatment in chronic hepatitis patients. This work aimed to elucidate the role of promoter methylation (PM) in response to antiviral therapy, and its contribution to the development of fibrosis through hepatocarcinogenesis-related genes. Methods A total of 159 chronic hepatitis Egyptian patients versus 100 healthy control group were included. The methylation profile of a panel 9 genes (SFRP1, p14, p73, APC, DAPK, RASSF1A, LINE1, O6MGMT, and p16) was detected in patients’ plasma using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). Results Clinical and laboratory findings were gathered for patients with combined pegylated interferon and ribavirin antiviral therapy. Regarding the patients’ response to antiviral therapy, the percentage of non-responders for APC, O6MGMT, RASSF1A, SFRP1, and p16 methylated genes were significantly higher versus responders (P<0.05). Of the 159 included patients, the most frequent methylated genes were SFRP1 (102/159), followed by p16 (100/159), RASSF1A (98/159), then LINE1 (81/159), P73 (81/159), APC (78/159), DAPK (66/159), O6MGMT (66/159), and p14 (54/159). A total of 67/98 (68.4%) cases of RASSF1A methylated gene (P=0.0.024), and 62/100 (62%) cases of P16 methylated gene (P=0.03) were associated with mild-degree fibrosis. Conclusions To recapitulate, the PM of SFRP1, APC, RASSF1A, O6MGMT, and p16 genes increases in chronic hepatitis C patients, and can affect patients’ response to antiviral therapy. The RASSF1A and P16 genes might have a role in the distinction between mild and marked fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waleed Seif Eldin Mohamed Mostafa
- Virology and Immunology Unit, Department of Cancer Biology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.,Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Al-Qurayyate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Hassan Saiem Al-Dahr
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Al-Qurayyate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Dalia Abdel Hamid Omran
- Department of Endemic Medicine and Hepatogastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Zeinab Fathy Abdullah
- Virology and Immunology Unit, Department of Cancer Biology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Suzan Hamdy Elmasry
- Department of Biochemistry, Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Nabil Ibrahim
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Al-Qurayyate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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6
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Zhang C, Huang C, Sui X, Zhong X, Yang W, Hu X, Li Y. Association between gene methylation and HBV infection in hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis. J Cancer 2019; 10:6457-6465. [PMID: 31772678 PMCID: PMC6856736 DOI: 10.7150/jca.33005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene methylation is an epigenetic alteration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis of HCC. However, the association between gene methylation and HBV infection in HCC remains unclear. In our study, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the association. A total of 1,148 studies were initially retrieved from some literature database. After a four-step filtration, we obtained 69 case-control studies in this meta-analysis. Our results showed six genes (p16, RASSF1A, GSTP1, APC, p15 and SFRP1) in HBV-positive carcinoma tissues, one gene (GSTP1) in HBV-positive adjacent tissues and two gene (p16 and APC) in HBV-positive carcinoma serums, which were significantly hypermethylated. Subgroup meta-analysis by geographical populations revealed that GSTP1 methylation was significantly higher in HBV-positive carcinoma tissues in China and Japan. In addition, p16 and RASSF1A methylation was significantly higher in China but not in Japan. Our study indicated that HBV infection could induce DNA methylation in HCC and DNA methylation could lead to the development of HBV-related HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Changxin Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xinbing Sui
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xueqing Zhong
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenjun Yang
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiangrong Hu
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yongqiang Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-cancer Chinese Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Cozma A, Fodor A, Vulturar R, Sitar-Tăut AV, Orăşan OH, Mureşan F, Login C, Suharoschi R. DNA Methylation and Micro-RNAs: The Most Recent and Relevant Biomarkers in the Early Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 55:medicina55090607. [PMID: 31546948 PMCID: PMC6780418 DOI: 10.3390/medicina55090607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequently encountered cancer type, and its alarming incidence is explained by genetic and epigenetic alterations. Epigenetic changes may represent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of HCC. In this review we discussed deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hypomethylation, DNA hypermethylation, and aberrant expression of small non-coding ribonucleic acid (RNA), which could be useful new biomarkers in the early diagnosis of HCC. We selected the articles on human subjects published in English over the past two years involving diagnostic markers detected in body fluids, cancer diagnosis made on histopathological exam, and a control group of those with benign liver disease or without liver disease. These biomarkers need further investigation in clinical trials to develop clinical applications for early diagnosis and management of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Cozma
- Internal Medicine Department, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Adriana Fodor
- Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Romana Vulturar
- Department of Cell Biology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Adela-Viviana Sitar-Tăut
- Internal Medicine Department, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Olga Hilda Orăşan
- Internal Medicine Department, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Flaviu Mureşan
- Department of Surgery, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Cezar Login
- Department of Physiology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Ramona Suharoschi
- Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
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LINE-1 hypomethylation in human hepatocellular carcinomas correlates with shorter overall survival and CIMP phenotype. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216374. [PMID: 31059558 PMCID: PMC6502450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of interspersed repetitive sequences due to loss of methylation is associated with genomic instability, one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. LINE-1 hypomethylation is a surrogate marker for global methylation loss and is potentially a new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in tumors. However, the correlation of LINE-1 hypomethylation with clinicopathological parameters and the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) in patients with liver tumors is not yet well defined, particularly in Caucasians who show quite low rates of HCV/HBV infection and a higher incidence of liver steatosis. Therefore, quantitative DNA methylation analysis of LINE-1, RASSF1A, and CCND2 using pyrosequencing was performed in human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC, n = 40), hepatocellular adenoma (HCA, n = 10), focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH, n = 5), and corresponding peritumoral liver tissues as well as healthy liver tissues (n = 5) from Caucasian patients. Methylation results were correlated with histopathological findings and clinical data. We found loss of LINE-1 DNA methylation only in HCC. It correlated significantly with poor survival (log rank test, p = 0.007). An inverse correlation was found for LINE-1 and RASSF1A DNA methylation levels (r2 = -0.47, p = 0.002). LINE-1 hypomethylation correlated with concurrent RASSF1/CCND2 hypermethylation (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.02). Both LINE-1 hypomethylation and RASSF1A/CCND2 hypermethylation were not found in benign hepatocellular tumors (HCA and FNH). Our results show that LINE-1 hypomethylation and RASSF1A/CCND2 hypermethylation are epigenetic aberrations specific for the process of malignant liver transformation. In addition, LINE-1 hypomethylation might serve as a future predictive biomarker to identify HCC patients with unfavorable overall survival.
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