Low-coverage whole-genome sequencing of extracellular vesicle-associated DNA in patients with metastatic cancer

Sci Rep. 2021 Feb 17;11(1):4016. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-83436-1.

Abstract

Low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (LC-WGS) can provide insight into oncogenic molecular changes. Serum extracellular vesicles (EV) represent a novel liquid biopsy source of tumoral DNA. This study compared copy number alteration (CNA) profiles generated from LC-WGS of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumoral DNA and EV-DNA obtained from cancer patients. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue (n = 3) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (n = 2) were included. LC-WGS (0.5-1X coverage) was performed on FFPE-DNA and serum EV-DNA. Similarity between CNA profiles was analysed using QDNAseq. FFPE samples had a mean CNA of 31 (range 17-50) over 1.9 × 109 (range 1.0-2.6 × 109) bp in length, and EV samples had a mean CNA value of 17 (range 7-19) over 7.6 × 108 (range 2.9-15 × 108) bp in length. A mean of 8 (range 0-21) CNA over 5.9 × 108 (range 1.6-14 × 108) bp in length was found to overlap between EV and FFPE-derived samples per patient. Although the mean correlation efficient between samples was r = 0.34 (range - .08 to 0.99), this was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Regions of highest deletion and duplication in FFPE samples were not well reflected in the EV-DNA. Selected CNA regions in EV-associated DNA were reflective of the primary tumor, however appreciation of global CNA and areas of most significant change was lost. The utility of LC-WGS of EV-derived DNA is likely limited to molecular alterations of known interest.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / metabolism
  • DNA Copy Number Variations / genetics
  • Extracellular Vesicles / genetics*
  • Extracellular Vesicles / pathology
  • Female
  • Formaldehyde / chemistry
  • Genome, Human / genetics
  • Genomics / methods
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing / methods
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouth Neoplasms / genetics
  • Mouth Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / genetics*
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / pathology
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Paraffin Embedding / methods
  • Tissue Fixation / methods
  • Whole Genome Sequencing / methods

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Formaldehyde