Establishing PNB-qPCR for quantifying minimal ctDNA concentrations during tumour resection

Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 21;7(1):8876. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-09137-w.

Abstract

The analysis of blood plasma or serum as a non-invasive alternative to tissue biopsies is a much-pursued goal in cancer research. Various methods and approaches have been presented to determine a patient's tumour status, chances of survival, and response to therapy from serum or plasma samples. We established PNB-qPCR (Pooled, Nested, WT-Blocking qPCR), a highly specific nested qPCR with various modifications to detect and quantify minute amounts of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) from very limited blood plasma samples. PNB-qPCR is a nested qPCR technique combining ARMS primers, blocking primers, LNA probes, and pooling of multiple first round products for sensitive quantification of the seven most frequent point mutations in KRAS exon 2. Using this approach, we were able to characterize ctDNA and total cell-free DNA (cfDNA) kinetics by selective amplification of KRAS mutated DNA fragments in the blood plasma over the course of tumour resection and the surrounding days. Whereas total cfDNA concentrations increased over the surgical and regenerative process, ctDNA levels showed a different scheme, rising only directly after tumour resection and about three days after the surgery. For the first time, we present insights into the impact of surgery on the release of ctDNA and total cfDNA.

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor*
  • Circulating Tumor DNA*
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • DNA, Neoplasm*
  • Humans
  • Mutation
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / genetics
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / standards
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Circulating Tumor DNA
  • DNA, Neoplasm
  • KRAS protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)