Cell-free plasma hypermethylated CASZ1, CDH13 and ING2 are promising biomarkers of esophageal cancer

Abstract

Identifying sensitive and specific biomarkers for early detection of cancer is immensely imperative for early diagnosis and treatment and better clinical outcome of cancer patients. This study aimed to construct a specific DNA methylation pattern of cancer suppressor genes and explore the feasibility of applying cell-free DNA based methylation as a biomarker for early diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We recruited early stage ESCC patients from Yangzhong County, China. The Illumina Infinium 450K Methylation BeadChip was used to construct a genome-wide DNA methylation profile. Then, differentiated genes were selected for the validation study using the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. The frequency of methylation was compared between cancer tissues, matched cell-free DNAs and normal controls. The specific methylation profiles were constructed, and the sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Seven CG sites in three genes CASZ1, CDH13 and ING2 were significantly hypermethylated in ESCC as compared with normal controls. A significant correlation was found between the methylation of DNA extracted from cancer tissues and matched plasma cell-free DNA, either for individual CG site or for cumulative methylation analysis. The sensitivity and specificity reached 100% at an appropriate cut-point using these specific methylation biomarkers. This study revealed that aberrant DNA methylation is a promising biomarker for molecular diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Hypermethylation of CASZ1, CDH13 and ING2 detected in plasma cell-free DNA can be applied as a potential noninvasive biomarker for diagnosis of esophageal cancer.

Keywords

esophageal neoplasms / DNA methylation / epigenesist / biological markers / tumor suppressor

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (grant number 17KJD330002); the Science and Technology Development Fund of Nanjing Medical University (grant number 2017NJMUZD141) and the Science and Technology Development Fund of Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University (grant number KD2016KYJJZD007, KD2016KYJJZD008). The funding agencies had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2018 2018 by the Journal of Biomedical Research.