Document Type : Short Communications
Authors
1
Research Group in Multidimensional Health and Disease (MHD), Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand.
2
Thammasat Research Unit in Opisthorchiasis, Cholangiocarcinoma, and Neglected Parasitic Diseases, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand.
3
Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand.
4
National Omics Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand.
5
Medical Oncology Unit, Udonthani Cancer Hospital, Udon Thani, 41330, Thailand.
6
Faculty of Science, Udon Thani Rajabhat University, Udon Thani, 41000, Thailand.
Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic potential of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and cell-free miRNA (cf-miRNA) for distinguishing between Healthy, asymptomatic opisthorchiasis viverrini and cholangiocarcinoma in a preliminary manner. Methods: In this study, 36 participants were enrolled into three health status groups: a healthy control group (HC), Opisthorchis viverrini-infected group (OV), and a cholangiocarcinoma group (CCA), each comprising 12 participants. Concentration measurements of cfDNA and cf-miRNA from plasma were conducted. Additionally, ultra-low-pass whole-genome sequencing (ULP-WGS) was employed to investigate DNA alterations. Results: The study revealed a significant elevation in plasma cfDNA concentration in the cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) group compared to healthy controls (HC) and Opisthorchis viverrini-infected (OV) groups (P < 0.001). The cfDNA concentration demonstrated a sensitivity of 75.00% and specificity of 95.83% for differentiating cholangiocarcinoma, with a cut-off of > 30.50 ng/ml plasma. Likewise, the concentration of cf-miRNA in the CCA group significantly differed from that in the HC and OV groups, demonstrating a sensitivity of 83.33% and specificity of 95.83% with a cut-off set at > 70.50 ng/ml plasma. Furthermore, a positive correlation between plasma concentrations of cfDNA and cf-miRNA suggests a potential relationship between these two biomarkers. These findings indicated the diagnostic potential of cfDNA and cf-miRNA in distinguishing cholangiocarcinoma, emphasizing their role as promising biomarkers for further investigation and clinical applications. Conclusion: Elevated plasma concentrations of cfDNA and cf-miRNA could serve as potential diagnostic tools for distinguishing cholangiocarcinoma from other conditions. cf-miRNA was superior to cfDNA in terms of sensitivity.
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