Comparison study of MS-HRM and pyrosequencing techniques for quantification of APC and CDKN2A gene methylation

PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e52501. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052501. Epub 2013 Jan 11.

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the development of cost-effective techniques for the quantification of DNA methylation biomarkers. We analyzed 90 samples of surgically resected colorectal cancer tissues for APC and CDKN2A promoter methylation using methylation sensitive-high resolution melting (MS-HRM) and pyrosequencing. MS-HRM is a less expensive technique compared with pyrosequencing but is usually more limited because it gives a range of methylation estimates rather than a single value. Here, we developed a method for deriving single estimates, rather than a range, of methylation using MS-HRM and compared the values obtained in this way with those obtained using the gold standard quantitative method of pyrosequencing. We derived an interpolation curve using standards of known methylated/unmethylated ratio (0%, 12.5%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of methylation) to obtain the best estimate of the extent of methylation for each of our samples. We observed similar profiles of methylation and a high correlation coefficient between the two techniques. Overall, our new approach allows MS-HRM to be used as a quantitative assay which provides results which are comparable with those obtained by pyrosequencing.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / genetics*
  • Base Sequence
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics
  • CpG Islands / genetics
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / genetics*
  • DNA Methylation*
  • DNA, Neoplasm / analysis*
  • DNA, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleic Acid Denaturation
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / methods*
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16
  • DNA, Neoplasm

Grants and funding

The study was funded by Istituto Toscano Tumori (ITT)(http://www.ittumori.it/IttSanitaSrty/jsp/start.jsp)(Prot.AOOGRT/325424/Q.80.110 16/12/2009) “Correlation among epigenetic, environmental and genetic factors in colorectal carcinoma” with additional funding for sample collection and archiving by the Food Standards Agency UK (Project No. N12009). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.