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Increased plasma DNA integrity in cancer patients
Brant G Wang1, Han-Yao Huang, Yu-Chi Chen
1Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, USA.
Cancer Research
|July 23, 2003
Summary
Increased DNA integrity in blood plasma may serve as a novel biomarker for cancer detection. This study suggests plasma DNA integrity index can help differentiate cancer patients from healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood is a potential biomarker for cancer detection.
- Tumor necrosis releases DNA fragments of varying sizes, unlike apoptosis in normal tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if increased DNA integrity (longer DNA strands) in plasma is a tumor-associated marker.
- To evaluate the diagnostic potential of plasma DNA integrity index for cancer detection.
Main Methods:
- Real-time PCR assays were used to determine the genomic DNA integrity index in plasma DNA.
- Plasma DNA integrity index and concentration were measured in 61 cancer patients (gynecological and breast) and 65 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- The DNA integrity index showed an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.911 for distinguishing cancer from nonneoplastic patients.
- At 100% specificity, a cutoff index of 0.59 achieved 62% sensitivity in cancer detection.
- 50% of Stage I cancers and all benign adnexal masses (n=11) showed index values below this cutoff.
Conclusions:
- Elevated DNA integrity in plasma DNA is associated with cancer.
- Plasma DNA integrity index measurement offers a simple, inexpensive method for cancer detection.