Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40598669›Full record

ArticleBMC research notes2025

Assessing the suitability of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue for genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

Julian Reingruber, Maximilian J Krämer, Jessica Bigge, Pouria Dasmeh, Sandeep Grover, Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach, Markus M Nöthen, Nicole Kreuser, Ines Gockel, Lothar Veits and 6 more

Abstract read
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Article in BMC research notes, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Julian Reingruber *Center for Human Genetics, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Maximilian J Krämer *Center for Human Genetics, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Jessica BiggeCenter for Human Genetics, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Pouria DasmehCenter for Human Genetics, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Sandeep GroverCenter for Human Genetics, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Stefanie Heilmann-HeimbachInstitute of Human Genetics, University and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Markus M NöthenInstitute of Human Genetics, University and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Nicole KreuserDepartment of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Ines GockelDepartment of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Lothar VeitsInstitute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Klinikum Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
Michael ViethInstitute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Klinikum Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
Paul JankInstitute of Pathology, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Carsten DenkertInstitute of Pathology, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Carlo Maj *Center for Human Genetics, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Timo Hess *Center for Human Genetics, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Johannes Schumacher *Center for Human Genetics, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany. johannes.schumacher@uni-marburg.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe power of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify common disease variants depends primarily on the number of included samples. The availability of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples in pathology institutes provides a valuable resource for GWAS, but the use of this material poses significant challenges. To explore the suitability of utilizing FFPE tissue for GWAS, we analysed the genotyping concordance between corresponding FFPE and blood samples. We evaluated both microarray technology and low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (lcWGS) to determine whether there were differences between genotyping methods.

resultsIn our concordance study, FFPE tissue showed high recall and precision values across both genotyping methods when compared to matched blood samples for single nucleotide polymorphisms. This demonstrates that FFPE samples are suitable for GWAS and that both methods are viable options for genotyping. However, microarray technology outperformed lcWGS, as evidenced by significantly higher recall (p = 0.005) and precision (p = 0.003) values. This, together with the lower cost of genotyping and computational efficiency, makes microarray technology currently the superior method for GWAS using FFPE tissue. Nevertheless, lcWGS has shown reliable results and holds the potential to provide more comprehensive and unbiased genetic variant analysis across diverse populations in the future. Our results show that the large number of FFPE samples stored in pathology institutes can significantly increase the power of future GWAS.

Indexed as

FormaldehydeGenome-Wide Association StudyGenotyping TechniquesParaffin EmbeddingTissue FixationGenotypeHumansOligonucleotide Array Sequence AnalysisPolymorphism, Single NucleotideWhole Genome SequencingFormaldehydeDNA extractionFFPE tissueGenome-wide genotypingGWAS

Identifiers

PMID40598669
PMCPMC12211376

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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.