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Updated: May 11, 2026
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Detection of Cell-Free DNA in Blood Plasma Samples of Cancer Patients
Published on: September 9, 2020
Plasma cell-free DNA in paediatric lymphomas
Lara Mussolin1, Roberta Burnelli, Marta Pillon
11. Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrico Fondazione Città della Speranza, Padova Italy; ; 2. Clinica di Oncoematologia Pediatrica, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Padova, Padova, Italy;
Journal of Cancer
|May 17, 2013
Summary
Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) levels are elevated in pediatric lymphoma patients compared to healthy individuals. High cfDNA levels in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) indicate a poor prognosis, suggesting cfDNA as a potential biomarker.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Extracellular circulating DNA (cfDNA) is present in healthy individuals.
- Elevated cfDNA levels are observed in various cancers, originating from both tumor and non-tumor cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate plasma cfDNA levels in pediatric lymphoma patients.
- To analyze the relationship between cfDNA levels and clinical characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative PCR assay used to determine plasma cfDNA levels in 201 pediatric lymphoma patients and 15 healthy controls.
- Analysis included Hodgkin lymphomas (HL), anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL), Burkitt lymphomas (BL), lymphoblastic (LBL), and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
- Statistical analysis (Wilcoxon rank sum test) used to compare cfDNA levels and assess correlations with clinical factors.
Main Results:
- Lymphoma patients exhibited significantly higher plasma cfDNA levels than controls (p<0.0001).
- cfDNA levels correlated with median age in HL (p=0.01) and stage in ALCL (p=0.01).
- High cfDNA levels in HL patients were associated with poor prognosis (p=0.03), with 77% of cfDNA being non-tumor DNA in ALCL.
Conclusions:
- Plasma cfDNA may serve as a valuable non-invasive diagnostic tool for lymphoma patient management.
- cfDNA shows promise as a prognostic biomarker, particularly in Hodgkin lymphoma.
