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Differential DNA methylation in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is associated with tumor behavior.

ABSTRACT: The epigenome offers an additional facet of cancer that can help categorize patients into those at risk of disease, recurrence, or treatment failure. We conducted a retrospective, nested, case-control study of advanced and recurrent high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients in which we assessed epigenome-wide association using Illumina methylationEPIC arrays to characterize DNA methylation status and RNAseq to evaluate gene expression. Comparing HGSOC tumors with normal fallopian tube tissues we observe global hypomethylation but with skewing towards hypermethylation when interrogating gene promoters. In total, 5,852 gene interrogating probes revealed significantly different methylation. Within HGSOC, 57 probes highlighting 17 genes displayed significant differential DNA methylation between primary and recurrent disease. Between optimal vs suboptimal surgical outcomes 99 probes displayed significantly different methylation but only 29 genes showed an inverse correlation between methylation status and gene expression. Overall, differentially methylated genes point to several pathways including RAS as well as hippo signaling in normal vs primary HGSOC; valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation and endocytosis in primary vs recurrent HGSOC; and pathways containing immune driver genes in optimal vs suboptimal surgical outcomes. Thus, differential DNA methylation identified numerous genes that could serve as potential biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets in HGSOC.

SUBMITTER: Reyes HD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6884482 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Differential DNA methylation in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is associated with tumor behavior.

Reyes Henry D HD Devor Eric J EJ Warrier Akshaya A Newtson Andreea M AM Mattson Jordan J Wagner Vincent V Duncan Gabrielle N GN Leslie Kimberly K KK Gonzalez-Bosquet Jesus J

Scientific reports 20191129 1

The epigenome offers an additional facet of cancer that can help categorize patients into those at risk of disease, recurrence, or treatment failure. We conducted a retrospective, nested, case-control study of advanced and recurrent high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients in which we assessed epigenome-wide association using Illumina methylationEPIC arrays to characterize DNA methylation status and RNAseq to evaluate gene expression. Comparing HGSOC tumors with normal fallopian tube ti ...[more]

PMID: 31784612

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Project description:Introduction/ Background: The epigenome represents and adds another facet of complexity to cancer that needs to be understood to categorize patients into those at risk of disease, recurrence, or treatment failure. Our goal is to compare DNA methylation status between controls vs HGSOC, and relate it with clinical outcomes. Methodology: A retrospective review of our institution’s advanced/ recurrent HGSOC patients yielded 99 cases with good quality DNA and RNA. 12 normal fallopian tubes were also collected and used as controls. Infinium Illumina methylationEPIC was used to characterize DNA methylation status and RNA seq to evaluate gene expression. T- tests were used to compare methylation patterns between controls vs HGSOC, primary vs recurrent, and optimal vs suboptimal surgical outcomes. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to evaluate association between degree of methylation and expression of identified genes. Validation of our findings used the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database followed by C-statistics to assess degree of agreement. Results: Out of 66,069 methylation probes that interrogate known genes, 5,852 probes were significantly different between normal and HGSOC. This includes genes that are enriched in several pathways such as the RAS signaling pathway. A similar analysis of the TCGA database showed 2,075 differentially methylated probes. 1,891 probes were significant in both datasets giving a 70.1% degree of agreement. When comparing differential DNA methylation between primary and recurrent disease, there were 57 probes which represent 17 genes that were significantly different. When comparing optimal vs suboptimal surgical outcomes, 99 probes were significantly different wherein 29 genes show expected inverse correlation between methylation status and gene expression. Conclusions: There are significant differences in methylation patterns between HGSOC and fallopian tubes, primary vs recurrent tissues, and optimal vs sub-optimal surgical outcomes. Cataloging these phenomena in a well characterized clinical population will aid in determining groupings for precision medicine treatment cohorts in the future.

Project description:BackgroundThe underlying mechanism of high T-cell presence as a favorable prognostic factor in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is not yet understood. In addition to immune cells, various cofactors are essential for immune processes. One of those are metallothioneins (MTs), metal-binding proteins comprising various isoforms. MTs play a role in tumor development and drug resistance. Moreover, MTs influence inflammatory processes by regulating zinc homeostasis. In particular, T-cell function and polarization are particularly susceptible to changes in zinc status. The aim of the present study was to investigate a possible role of MT-mediated immune response and its association with prognostic outcome in ovarian cancer.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on a clinically well-characterized cohort of 24 patients with HGSOC treated at the University Hospital of Essen. Gene expression patterns for anti-cancer immunogenicity-related targets were performed using the NanoString nCounter platform for digital gene expression analysis with the appurtenant PanCancer Immune Profiling panel, consisting of 770 targets and 30 reference genes. Tumor-associated immunohistochemical MT protein expression was evaluated using a semi-quantitative four-tier Immunohistochemistry (IHC) scoring.ResultsMT immunoexpression was detected in 43% (10/23) of all HGSOC samples. MT immunoexpression levels showed a significant association to survival, leading to prolonged progression-free and overall survival in positively stained tumors. Furthermore, T-cell receptor signaling gene signature showed a strong activation in MT-positive tumors. Activated downstream signaling cascades resulting in elevated interferon-gamma expression with a shift in the balance between T helper cells (TH1 and TH2) could be observed in the MT-positive subgroup. In addition, a higher expression pattern of perforin and several granzymes could be detected, overall suggestive of acute, targeted anti-cancer immune response in MT-positive samples.ConclusionThis is the first study combining broad, digital mRNA screening of anti-tumor immune response-associated genes and their relation to MT-I/II in ovarian cancer. MT overexpression is associated with molecular characteristics of an anti-cancer immune response and is a strong prognostic marker in ovarian HGSOC. The observed immune cell activation associated with tumor MT expression comprises but is not limited to T cells and natural killer cells.

Dataset Information

Differential DNA methylation in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is associated with tumor behavior.

Publications

Differential DNA methylation in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is associated with tumor behavior.

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