Objective: To study the application of denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) as a screening tool in detecting plasma and matched tissue epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Methods: Plasma DNA samples and matched tumors from 230 cases of NSCLC were analyzed for EGFR mutations in exons 19 and 21 using DHPLC. The mutations in the plasma samples and the matched tumors were compared, and the association between EGFR mutations and the clinicopathological features were evaluated.
Results: Mutation of EGFR was found by DHPLC to be 33.5% (77/230) in tissues and 34.3% (79/230) in matched peripheral blood samples. Consistency of EGFR mutation status between tissues and matched plasma DNA was confirmed (kappa is 0.74, P < 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity of DHPLC for detecting EGFR mutation were 96.9% and 91.9%, respectively (kappa is 0.88). EGFR mutations in both tissue and blood was correlated with histology type (OR = 3.38, 95% CI 1.81 - 6.36, P < 0.05) and smoking status (OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.13 - 2.28, P < 0.05), but no association with age, sex and stage was found (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The detection of EGFR mutation is highly consistent in tissues and in plasma DNA samples. DHPLC may serve as a preliminary screening tool for detecting EGFR mutations.