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Comprehensive DNA Methylation Analysis Using a Methyl-CpG-binding Domain Capture-based Method in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients
Published on: June 16, 2017
The Danish Lymphoid Cancer Research (DALY-CARE): Genetic Cohort Profile
Jojo Biel-Nielsen Dietz1, Tereza Fait Kadlec1,2, Emelie Curovic Rotbain1,2
1Danish Cancer Institute, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Purpose:
The Danish Lymphoid Cancer Research (DALY-CARE) Genetic Cohort was established to support research into how genetic factors influence clinical outcomes in lymphoid cancers (LCs), including disease progression, treatment response, toxicity, and survival. Individual-level genetic data were combined with detailed clinical information from national health registers, hospital-based electronic health records (EHR), laboratory data, and pathology reports. The cohort enables large-scale studies of genetic susceptibility, disease course, and therapy-related outcomes in LCs and provides a platform for genetic epidemiology and future multi-omics research within a unified data infrastructure.
Participants:
The genetic cohort includes 8675 genotyped individuals drawn from the broader DALY-CARE population (n=74,251, as of April 2025), including individuals diagnosed with LCs such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, n=1349), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL, n=1245), multiple myeloma (MM, n=1209), follicular lymphoma (FL, n=704), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL, n=407), Waldenström macroglobulinemia and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (WM/LPL, n=368), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL, n=287), and precursor states such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS, n=1299).
Descriptive Findings:
Hematologic malignancy was the most frequent cause of death (30%), followed by infections (27%) and other cancers (15%). Polypharmacy, as a more sensitive proxy for comorbidity than hospital diagnosis codes, was substantial (median 7-8 drugs pre-diagnosis). Frequently observed comorbidities were hypertension (47%), cardiovascular disease (16%), cerebrovascular disease (11%) and type 2 diabetes (10%). Kinship analysis identified limited relatedness (41 parent-offspring, 51 siblings), while ancestry inference confirmed predominantly Northwestern European descent (97%).
Future Opportunities:
The DALY-CARE Genetic Cohort provides a foundation for studying genetic and clinical determinants of LC outcomes. Integration of genotype data with EHR and national health registers enables exploration of germline risk and protective variants. Future expansions will integrate additional omics data types, such as whole-genome sequencing, transcriptomics, proteomics, and immunophenotyping, positioning the cohort as a national platform for multi-omics research in LC.
