Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Analysis of Urine Cell-Free mtDNA Reveals Aberrant Fragmentation and Mutation Profile in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background: Many studies have demonstrated the high efficacy of cell-free nuclear DNA in cancer diagnostics. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) exhibits distinct characteristics, including multiple copies per cell and higher mutation frequency. However, the potential applicability of cell-free mtDNA (cf-mtDNA) in plasma and urine remains poorly investigated.

Methods: Here, we comprehensively analyzed the fragmentomic and mutational characteristics of cf-mtDNA in urine and plasma samples from controls and cancer patients using next-generation sequencing.

Results: Compared to plasma cf-mtDNA, urine cf-mtDNA exhibited increased copy numbers and wider spread in fragment size distributions. Based on 2 independent animal models, urine cf-mtDNA originated predominantly from local shedding and transrenal excretion. Further analysis indicated an enhanced fragmentation of urine cf-mtDNA in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Using the mtDNA sequence of peripheral blood mononuclear cells for reference, the mutant fragments were shorter than wild-type fragments in urine cf-mtDNA. Size selection of short urine cf-mtDNA fragments (<150 bp) significantly enhanced the somatic mutation detection. Our data revealed remarkably different base proportions of fragment ends between urine and plasma cf-mtDNA that also were associated with fragment size. Moreover, both RCC and CRC patients exhibited significantly higher T-end and lower A-end proportions in urine cf-mtDNA than controls. By integrating the fragmentomic and mutational features of urine cf-mtDNA, our nomogram model exhibited a robust efficacy for cancer diagnosis.

Conclusions: Our proof-of-concept findings revealed aberrant fragmentation and mutation profiles of urine cf-mtDNA in cancer patients that have diagnostic potential.

Keywords: cancer; cell-free mtDNA; fragmentomics; liquid biopsy; next-generation sequencing; urine.