Plasma DNA Integrity as a Prognostic Biomarker for Colorectal Cancer Chemotherapy

Feng Zhu; Jing Ma; Dongdong Ru; Ningning Wu; Yunhua Zhang; Huiyuan Li; Xiaoli Liu; Jianfeng Li; Huiling Zhang; Yue Xu; Jiangman Zhao; Hui Tang; Yusheng Wang; Weihua Fu

doi:10.1155/2021/5569783

Plasma DNA Integrity as a Prognostic Biomarker for Colorectal Cancer Chemotherapy

J Oncol. 2021 May 26:2021:5569783. doi: 10.1155/2021/5569783. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Feng Zhu^{1

2}, Jing Ma², Dongdong Ru², Ningning Wu², Yunhua Zhang², Huiyuan Li², Xiaoli Liu², Jianfeng Li², Huiling Zhang², Yue Xu^{3

4}, Jiangman Zhao^{3

4}, Hui Tang^{3

4}, Yusheng Wang², Weihua Fu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
² Department of General Surgery, Jincheng People's Hospital, Jincheng 048026, China.
³ Shanghai Biotecan Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., 180 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201204, China.
⁴ Shanghai Zhangjiang Institute of Medical Innovation, Shanghai 201204, China.

Abstract

Objectives: To verify whether the concentrations and integrity index of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in serum may be clinically useful for the progression monitoring of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Methods: Serum samples were collected from 76 primary CRC patients who underwent surgery, including 60 with chemotherapy and 43 with follow-up. Long (247 bp) and short (115 bp) DNA fragments in serum were detected by real-time quantitative PCR by amplifying the ALU repeats. Ten serum traditional biomarkers levels were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay assay.

Results: The median DNA integrity index (ALU247/ALU115) of serum DNA in the preoperative group was significantly higher than those in the postchemotherapy and the follow-up groups, while cfDNA concentration (ALU115) was significantly lower in the preoperative group compared with the postchemotherapy and the follow-up groups. CEA and CA242 were significantly lower in the postoperative group than in the preoperative group.

Conclusions: Serum DNA integrity index (ALU247/115) may prove to be a promising candidate biomarker for prognostic prediction of CRC who underwent chemotherapy and during short-term follow-up.