Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41764773›Full record

ArticleMolecular carcinogenesis2026

Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing Identifies Blood-Based DNA Methylation Biomarker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Junsheng Zhao, Sijia Shen, Junjie Zhang, Ying Xu, Jing Peng, Hainv Gao, Lanjuan Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular carcinogenesis, 2026. 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

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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

7 authors.

Junsheng ZhaoState Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Sijia ShenState Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Junjie ZhangBioinformatic Center, Key Laboratory of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine in Zhejiang Province, Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital Affiliated to Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China.
Ying XuDepartment of Infectious Diseases, ShuLan (Hangzhou) Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Shuren University, Shulan International Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
Jing PengDepartment of Breast Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Hainv GaoDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine in Zhejiang Province, Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital Affiliated to Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4590-9181
Lanjuan LiState Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6945-0593

Funding

the State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Functional DNA methylation abnormalities are a hallmark of human cancers and may be a promising biomarker for their early diagnosis. Moreover, the largest methylation differences can improve the sensitivity of noninvasive diagnoses of solid tumors. We combined whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and mRNA-seq data from 33 paired hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and adjacent tissues to identify methylation markers that could be used for noninvasive diagnosis in blood samples. Methylation markers were selected according to the following criteria: differentially methylated regions (DMR) located in the promoter region with large differences in methylation (Δβ > 0.3) and inverse correlation with matched gene expression (cor < -0.3). Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from 48 patients with HCC and 24 normal participants was used to verify the performance of meTSPYL5 using qMSP. Integrated WGBS and transcriptomic data analysis identified eight target promoter hyper-DMRs. After confirming the WGBS profiles of genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, meTSPYL5 was selected to further verify the plasma cfDNA samples by qMSP. The results of plasma validation showed that the methylation detection of meTSPYL5 was sensitive for identifying HCC, with a sensitivity and specificity of 85.4% and 100%, respectively. Pan-cancer analysis found that the methylation level of TSPYL5 was elevated in multiple cancer types, indicating that it lacks cancer-type specificity; however, this result does not affect its application value in monitoring high-risk populations of HCC. By analyzing and integrating all available high-throughput epigenomic and transcriptomic data from human HCC tissues, we identified eight regions as potential diagnostic biomarkers for HCC. Integrative analyses of epigenomic and transcriptomic data provide an efficient method to identify diagnostic biomarkers for human cancers. Methylated TSPYL5 in plasma is a promising biomarker for the detection and screening of HCC.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorCarcinoma, HepatocellularDNA MethylationLiver NeoplasmsWhole Genome SequencingFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMaleMiddle AgedPromoter Regions, GeneticSulfitesBiomarkers, Tumorhydrogen sulfiteSulfitesbiomarkercell‐free DNAhepatocellular carcinomaTSPYL5whole‐genome bisulfite sequencing

Identifiers

PMID41764773
PMCPMC13067798

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Registered trials

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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.