Circulating mitochondrial DNA in the serum of patients with testicular germ cell cancer as a novel noninvasive diagnostic biomarker
- 9 June 2009
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in BJU International
- Vol. 104 (1), 48-52
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410x.2008.08289.x
Abstract
To analyse the diagnostic and prognostic value of cell-free mitochondrial (mt)DNA in patients with testicular cancer, as increased levels of cell-free circulating mtDNA have been reported in patients with cancer. In all, 74 patients with testicular cancer (seminoma in 39, nonseminoma in 35) and 35 healthy individuals were included in the study. Circulating DNA was isolated from 1 mL of serum. A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyse the levels of a 79-bp (mtDNA-79) and 220 bp (mtDNA-220) fragment of the mitochondrial specific 16S-RNA. The mtDNA integrity was expressed as the ratio of mtDNA-220 to mtDNA-79. mtDNA-79 and mtDNA-220 levels were significantly (P < 0.001) greater in patients with testicular cancer than in healthy individuals. The mtDNA integrity was similar in patients and healthy controls (P = 0.435). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis showed that cell-free mtDNA (mtDNA-79) levels distinguished, with a sensitivity of 59.5% and a specificity of 94.3%, between patients and healthy individuals (area under curve, 0.787). Also, mtDNA-79 levels could be used to distinguish between patients (31) with conventional markers (alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotrophin, placental alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase) within normal ranges and healthy individuals, with a sensitivity of 64.5% and specificity of 91.4% (area under curve 0.797). Cell-free mtDNA levels were not correlated with any clinicopathological variable (pT stage, lymph node invasion, vascular invasion, clinical stage, International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group classification, tumour markers; all P > 0.05). Cell-free mtDNA levels are greater in patients with testicular cancer and might provide valuable information for managing patients with testicular anomalies, especially those with normal levels of established tumour markers.Keywords
This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- Apoptotic DNA fragments in serum of patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer: A prognostic entityCancer Letters, 2008
- Cancer Statistics, 2008CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 2008
- European Consensus Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Germ Cell Cancer: A Report of the Second Meeting of the European Germ Cell Cancer Consensus group (EGCCCG): Part IEuropean Urology, 2007
- European Consensus Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Germ Cell Cancer: A Report of the Second Meeting of the European Germ Cell Cancer Consensus Group (EGCCCG): Part IIEuropean Urology, 2007
- Noncancerous PTGS2 DNA fragments of apoptotic origin in sera of prostate cancer patients qualify as diagnostic and prognostic indicatorsInternational Journal of Cancer, 2007
- Prognostic Value of Preoperative Serum Cell-Free Circulating DNA in Men with Prostate Cancer Undergoing Radical ProstatectomyClinical Cancer Research, 2007
- Testicular Cancer Variations in Time and Space in EuropeEuropean Urology, 2007
- Prediction of Breast Tumor Progression by Integrity of Free Circulating DNA in SerumJournal of Clinical Oncology, 2006
- Guidelines on Testicular CancerEuropean Urology, 2005
- Tumor markers at the time of recurrence in patients with germ cell tumorsCancer, 2000