Mitochondrial DNA copy number variation as a potential predictor of renal cell carcinoma

Peripheral blood mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number alteration has been suggested as a risk factor for several types of cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of peripheral blood mtDNA copy number variation as a noninvasive biomarker in the prediction and early detection of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in a cohort of Egyptian patients.

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to measure peripheral blood mtDNA copy numbers in 57 patients with newly diagnosed, early-stage localized RCC and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals as a control group.

Median mtDNA copy number was significantly higher in RCC cases than in controls (166 vs. 91, p<0.001). Increased mtDNA copy number was associated with an 18-fold increased risk of RCC (95% confidence interval: 5.065-63.9). On receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, it was found that mtDNA could distinguish between RCC patients and healthy controls, with 86% sensitivity, 80% specificity, 80.3% positive predictive value and 85.7% negative predictive value at a cutoff value of 108.5.

Our results showed that increased peripheral blood mtDNA copy number was associated with increased risk of RCC. Therefore, RCC might be considered as part of a range of potential tumors in cases with elevated blood mtDNA copy number.