Dissection of major cancer gene variants in subsets of circulating tumor cells in advanced breast cancer

Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 21;9(1):17276. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-53660-x.

Abstract

Enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may reflect the metastatic potential of breast cancer (BC). By using the DEPArray, we investigated CTCs with respect to their epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition phenotype and compared their genomic heterogeneity with tissue biopsies. Seventeen stage IV BC patients were enrolled. Pre-enriched CTC suspensions were stained with fluorescent-labeled antibodies to epithelial (E) and mesenchymal (M) markers. CTC samples were processed by DEPArray system and clustered in relation to their markers. DNA from CTCs, as well as from primary tumor samples, was sequenced by next generation sequencing to assess the mutational state of 50 major cancer-related genes. We identified four different CTC subsets that harbored different gene variants. The most heterogenous CTC subsets included the M+/E- phenotype, which, however, expressed only 7 repeatedly mutated genes, while in the M-/E+ subset multiple mutations affected only 2 out of 50 genes. When matching all gene variants among CTC subsets, a small number of mutations was shared by only 4 genes, namely ATM, FGFR3, PIK3CA, and TP53 that, however, were absent in primary tumors. Our results postulate that the detected mutations in all CTC subsets may be considered as genomic markers of metastatic dissemination to be investigated during early stages of BC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins / genetics
  • Base Sequence / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Breast / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / classification*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / genetics
  • DNA Mutational Analysis / methods
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / genetics
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / physiology
  • Female
  • Genetic Variation / genetics
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing / methods
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / classification*
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / pathology
  • Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3 / genetics
  • Single-Cell Analysis / methods
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • PIK3CA protein, human
  • FGFR3 protein, human
  • Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3
  • ATM protein, human
  • Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins