Detection of OPCML methylation, a possible epigenetic marker, from free serum circulating DNA to improve the diagnosis of early-stage ovarian epithelial cancer

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to identify the appropriate DNA sequence and design high-quality primers for methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). These primers may be used to examine and identify patients with early-stage epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). Opioid binding protein/cell adhesion molecule like (OPCML), Runt-related transcription factor 3 and tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 were selected as possible molecular markers. MSP primer sets were designed to monitor the methylation of the three markers. Free circulating DNA (fcDNA) from 194 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma and healthy donors were templates in the nested MSP. OPCML MSP was effective with respect to screening methylated fcDNA. One-way ANOVA P-values indicated that the difference in cancer antigen 125 (CA125), a biomarker for EOC diagnosis, level between early EOC and healthy donors was not significant. The methylation of OPCML was significantly altered in early-stage EOC compared with healthy donors (P<0.0001), and this supported the hypothesis that specific fcDNA methylation was able to distinguish patients with early-stage EOC from healthy donors. With respect to detecting early EOC, compared with the results of the CA125 test, MSP increased the κ coefficient from 0.140 to 0.757. Therefore, OPCML combined with fcDNA may be used to establish an improved clinical assay compared with the current CA125 test.

Serum cell-free DNA methylation of OPCML and HOXD9 as a biomarker that may aid in differential diagnosis between cholangiocarcinoma and other biliary diseases

“…With the advent of liquid biopsy, it becomes superior to tissue biopsy because of its less invasiveness and clinically practical method. Consequently, OPCML methylation in serum cfDNA has been assessed for its value as a diagnostic biomarker in ovarian cancer [66, 67]. There is no evaluation of OPCML methylation as a differential marker for cancer patients.…”

Epigenetic Biomarkers in the Management of Ovarian Cancer: Current Prospectives

“…Mesenchymal-epithelial transition Weisenberger et al, 2008;Su et al, 2009;Liggett et al, 2011;Giannopoulou et al, 2017;Wang et al, 2017 Hypomethylation 203 p63, SOCS-3, ABL1, MCEF, and ADAMTS6…”

Methylation and ovarian cancer: Can DNA methylation be of diagnostic use? (Review)

“…They demonstrated that their methylation analysis could identify early OC with a higher sensitivity and specificity than CA125 serum levels. The same was suggested for OPCML alone in a study from 2017, including free circulating DNA from 71 OC patients, 80 healthy controls and 43 patients with benign ovarian tumors (73).…”