Project description:Use of archival resources has been limited to date by inconsistent methods for genomic profiling of degraded RNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples. RNA-seq offers a novel way to address this problem. In this study we evaluated transcriptomic dose responses using RNA-seq in paired FFPE and frozen (FROZ) samples from two archival studies in mice, one recent (<2 years old) and the other older (>20 years old). Experimental treatments included di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and dichloroacetic acid (DCA) for the <2 and >20 year-old studies, respectively. Total RNA was ribodepleted and sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq platform. In the recent study, FFPE samples showed high concordance in total reads (98% vs FROZ), fold-change values of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (R2 = 0.99), highly enriched target pathways (90% overlap with FROZ), and benchmark dose estimates for preselected target genes (-2% overall vs FROZ). In contrast, RNA-seq data from older FFPE samples had lower total reads (70% vs FROZ) and poor concordance in global DEGs and pathways. Despite a 99% loss of counts, dose responses were still evident for target genes in FFPE samples and positively correlated with paired FROZ samples. These findings highlight potential variability in the quality of RNA-seq data from FFPE samples. More recent FFPE samples were highly similar to FROZ samples in sequencing quality metrics, DEG profiles, and dose-response parameters, while further methods development is needed for older or lower-quality FFPE samples. This work should help broaden the use of archival resources in both chemical safety and translational science.
Project description:The reliability of differential expression analysis on FFPE expression profiles from Affymetrix arrays is questionable, due to the wide range of percent-present values reported in studies which profiled FFPE samples on Affymetrix arrays. Moreover the validity of externally defined gene-modules in FFPE microarray expression profiles is unknown. Using eight breast cancer tumors with available frozen and FFPE samples, five sample-matched data sets were generated from different combination of Affymetrix arrays, amplification-and-labeling kit and sample preservation method. The reliability of differential expression analysis was investigated by developing de novo ER/HER2 pathway gene-modules from matched data sets and validating it on external data set using ROC analysis. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of module scores between matched FFPE-frozen expression profiles was used to measure reliability of externally defined gene-modules in FFPE expression profiles. Independent of array/amplification-kit/sample preservation method used, de novo ER/HER2 gene-modules derived from all matching data sets showed similar prediction performance during independent validation (AUC range; ER: 0.92-0.95, HER2: 0.88-0.91), except for de novo HER2 gene-module derived from FFPE data set with 3'IVT kit (AUC: 0.67-0.72). Further not all gene-module based biological signals present in frozen expression profiles can be recovered from matching FFPE microarray expression profiles using the currently available FFPE specific sample preparation kits. The gene-module based biological signal extracted from FFPE RNA, using microarrays, may not be as reliable as that from their frozen counterpart, if the sample preparation protocol used with FFPE RNA failed to recover relevant genes involved in the biological signal.
Project description:Archival Formalin-Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) tissue represents an abundant and more easily transferable source of patient tissue than live specimens. Furthermore cancer FFPE tissue deposited at major cancer research institutes is often paired with survival data increasing the value of biomarker and prediction based research from these samples. However the known fragility of RNA and artifacts introduced through the processes of tissue preservation and storage introduce the possibility of unfaithful RNA expression signatures from these sources. To evaluate this we established an RNA isolation, library prepration and data analysis pipeline at Oregon Health and Science University to evaluate the fidelity of RNA expression profiles from FFPE tissues utilizing gene and pathway expression comparisons between ER positive and ER negative samples in archival FFPE specimens compared to those obtained from public available data sets of fresh specimens.
Project description:The reliability of differential expression analysis on FFPE expression profiles from Affymetrix arrays is questionable, due to the wide range of percent-present values reported in studies which profiled FFPE samples on Affymetrix arrays. Moreover the validity of externally defined gene-modules in FFPE microarray expression profiles is unknown. Using eight breast cancer tumors with available frozen and FFPE samples, five sample-matched data sets were generated from different combination of Affymetrix arrays, amplification-and-labeling kit and sample preservation method. The reliability of differential expression analysis was investigated by developing de novo ER/HER2 pathway gene-modules from matched data sets and validating it on external data set using ROC analysis. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of module scores between matched FFPE-frozen expression profiles was used to measure reliability of externally defined gene-modules in FFPE expression profiles. Independent of array/amplification-kit/sample preservation method used, de novo ER/HER2 gene-modules derived from all matching data sets showed similar prediction performance during independent validation (AUC range; ER: 0.92-0.95, HER2: 0.88-0.91), except for de novo HER2 gene-module derived from FFPE data set with 3'IVT kit (AUC: 0.67-0.72). Further not all gene-module based biological signals present in frozen expression profiles can be recovered from matching FFPE microarray expression profiles using the currently available FFPE specific sample preparation kits. The gene-module based biological signal extracted from FFPE RNA, using microarrays, may not be as reliable as that from their frozen counterpart, if the sample preparation protocol used with FFPE RNA failed to recover relevant genes involved in the biological signal.
Project description:The reliability of differential expression analysis on FFPE expression profiles from Affymetrix arrays is questionable, due to the wide range of percent-present values reported in studies which profiled FFPE samples on Affymetrix arrays. Moreover the validity of externally defined gene-modules in FFPE microarray expression profiles is unknown. Using eight breast cancer tumors with available frozen and FFPE samples, five sample-matched data sets were generated from different combination of Affymetrix arrays, amplification-and-labeling kit and sample preservation method. The reliability of differential expression analysis was investigated by developing de novo ER/HER2 pathway gene-modules from matched data sets and validating it on external data set using ROC analysis. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of module scores between matched FFPE-frozen expression profiles was used to measure reliability of externally defined gene-modules in FFPE expression profiles. Independent of array/amplification-kit/sample preservation method used, de novo ER/HER2 gene-modules derived from all matching data sets showed similar prediction performance during independent validation (AUC range; ER: 0.92-0.95, HER2: 0.88-0.91), except for de novo HER2 gene-module derived from FFPE data set with 3'IVT kit (AUC: 0.67-0.72). Further not all gene-module based biological signals present in frozen expression profiles can be recovered from matching FFPE microarray expression profiles using the currently available FFPE specific sample preparation kits. The gene-module based biological signal extracted from FFPE RNA, using microarrays, may not be as reliable as that from their frozen counterpart, if the sample preparation protocol used with FFPE RNA failed to recover relevant genes involved in the biological signal.
Project description:Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) meningioma samples. The Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 850,000 methylation sites across the genome at single-nucleotide resolution.
Project description:Background and Aims Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is the most commonly available form of archived clinical specimens, which are often stored as thin sections on glass slides. RNA isolated from such archived section (AS) of FFPE tissue is more degraded compared to freshly cut (FC) FFPE section because of prolonged air exposure. In this study, we evaluated performance of transcriptome profiling-based disease classification in AS-FFPE tissue. Methods Genome-wide gene-expression profiles of AS-FFPE tissues of 83 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 47 liver cirrhosis samples were generated by using whole-genome DASL assay (Illumina), and compared with the profiles previously produced by using FC tissue sections from the same FFPE blocks. Quality of the profiles and performance of gene signature-based class prediction were systematically evaluated. Results RNA quality and assay reproducibility of AS-FFPE RNA were comparable to intermediate ~ poor quality FC-FFPE samples (R2 as high as 0.93). Gene-expression signal was detected in lower number of probes in AS FFPE samples compared to FC-FFPE samples (proportion of probes with present signal (%P-call): 10%~60% and 70%~90% in AS- and FC-FFPE profiles, respectively). Based on %P-call quality threshold of 20%, 64/88 (77%) HCC and 37/48 (77%) liver profiles were judged as having relatively good quality data with comparable inter-sample correlation. Inter-sample correlation coefficient, as a measure to detect outlier profiles due to poor RNA quality, was also lower in AS-FFPE (0.4~0.9) compared to FC-FFPE (0.6~1.0). In the genome-wide profiling analysis, previously identified molecular subclasses of HCC tumors were reproduced in 67/83 (81%) samples, which was improved to 43/48 (90%) samples when we focused on statistically confident predictions (p<0.05). A 186-gene prognostic signature in liver cirrhosis was reproduced in 32/47 (68%) samples, which was slightly improved to 11/16 (69%) when focused on statistically significant predictions. Conclusions We observed decay of genome-wide transcriptional profiles in AS-FFPE tissues in quantitative manner. However, disease classification was still possible, which suggests potential of AS-FFPE material for clinical diagnosis and prognosis.