Quantification of cell-free circulating mitochondrial DNA copy number variation in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary malignant liver tumor. Mitochondrial DNA copy number has been shown to be associated with various malignancies. However, there has not been any study on the absolute quantification of mtDNA copy number in hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to develop a new method for absolute quantification of mtDNA copy number and to relatively quantify the variations in the mtDNA copy number in hepatocellular carcinoma patients in comparison with healthy individuals.

Venous blood samples were collected from both hepatocellular carcinoma patients (34) and healthy individuals (34). Circulating cell-free DNAs were isolated and the relative quantification of mtDNA copy number variation was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and digital polymerase chain reaction.

It was found that the relative mtDNA copy number was significantly decreased in hepatocellular carcinoma patients in comparison with the control group (p<0.05). The median (range) and average of relative mtDNA/β-actin gene of the patients were determined as 42.8 cp/μL (11.1-88.5) and 45.1 cp/μL, respectively, while the median (range) and average relative mtDNA/β-actin gene of the control group were determined as 102.8 cp/μL (55.1-291.8) and 138.7 cp/μL, respectively (p<0.05). When quantitative polymerase chain reaction and digital polymerase chain reaction were compared, mtDNA/β-actin gene copy number ratio of digital polymerase chain reaction results was found to be 1.76-fold more than that of quantitative polymerase chain reaction results.

Circulating mtDNA copy number was decreased in hepatocellular carcinoma patients in comparison with healthy individuals, and we suggest that it can be used as a noninvasive biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis in the future.