Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33777442›Full record

ArticleEpigenomes2021

Ultra-Low DNA Input into Whole Genome Methylation Assays and Detection of Oncogenic Methylation and Copy Number Variants in Circulating Tumour DNA.

Celina Whalley, Karl Payne, Enric Domingo, Andrew Blake, Susan Richman, Jill Brooks, Nikolaos Batis, Rachel Spruce, S-CORT Consortium, Hisham Mehanna and 2 more

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Epigenomes, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Celina WhalleyInstitute of Cancer & Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Vincent Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Karl PayneInstitute of Cancer & Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Vincent Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Enric DomingoDepartment of Oncology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4390-8767
Andrew BlakeDepartment of Oncology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK.
Susan RichmanPathology and Data Analytics, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, St James University Hospital, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3993-5041
Jill BrooksInstitute of Cancer & Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Vincent Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Nikolaos BatisInstitute of Cancer & Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Vincent Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2305-7427
Rachel SpruceInstitute of Cancer & Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Vincent Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
S-CORT Consortium
Hisham MehannaInstitute of Cancer & Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Vincent Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Paul Nankivell *Institute of Cancer & Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Vincent Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Andrew D Beggs *Institute of Cancer & Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Vincent Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0784-2967
University of Birmingham · GBUniversity of Oxford · GBSt James's University Hospital · GB

Funding

Cancer Research UK C31641/A23923Medical Research Council MC_UU_00004/01Medical Research Council MC_UU_12023/20Medical Research Council MR/M009157/1Medical Research Council MR/M016587/1Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Abnormal CpG methylation in cancer is ubiquitous and generally detected in tumour specimens using a variety of techniques at a resolution encompassing single CpG loci to genome wide coverage. Analysis of samples with very low DNA inputs, such as formalin fixed (FFPE) biopsy specimens from clinical trials or circulating tumour DNA is challenging at the genome-wide level because of lack of available input. We present the results of low input experiments into the Illumina Infinium HD methylation assay on FFPE specimens and ctDNA samples.

methodsFor all experiments, the Infinium HD assay for methylation was used. In total, forty-eight FFPE specimens were used at varying concentrations (lowest input 50 ng); eighteen blood derived specimens (lowest input 10 ng) and six matched ctDNA input (lowest input 10 ng)/fresh tumour specimens (lowest input 250 ng) were processed. Downstream analysis was performed in R/Bioconductor for quality control metrics and differential methylation analysis as well as copy number calls.

resultsCorrelation coefficients for CpG methylation were high at the probe level averaged R2 = 0.99 for blood derived samples and R2 > 0.96 for the FFPE samples. When matched ctDNA/fresh tumour samples were compared, R2 > 0.91 between the two. Results of differential methylation analysis did not vary significantly by DNA input in either the blood or FFPE groups. There were differences seen in the ctDNA group as compared to their paired tumour sample, possibly because of enrichment for tumour material without contaminating normal. Copy number variants observed in the tumour were generally also seen in the paired ctDNA sample with good concordance via DQ plot.

conclusionsThe Illumina Infinium HD methylation assay can robustly detect methylation across a range of sample types, including ctDNA, down to an input of 10 ng. It can also reliably detect oncogenic methylation changes and copy number variants in ctDNA. These findings demonstrate that these samples can now be accessed by methylation array technology, allowing analysis of these important sample types.

Indexed as

circulating tumour DNAepigenomeformalin fixed paraffin embedded

Identifiers

PMID33777442
PMCPMC7610445
OpenAlexW3131894391

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.