Role of cell-free DNA and extracellular vesicles for diagnosis and surveillance in patients with glioma

Abstract

Objectives: Liquid biopsy can be used to make the diagnosis, to screen treatment response, and to predict the prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) sources are used as liquid biopsy biomarkers from body fluids such as serum, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and mucosa. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether EVs and cfDNA are predictive for diagnosis and prognosis in patients with glioma. Methods: cfDNA and EVs levels were measured from 17 glioma patients at three different time intervals (before surgery, 10–14 days after surgery, and at the time of recurrence) and 7 healthy individuals. We investigated whether their level increased in glioma patients. Also, the correlation between clinical outcome and their levels was analyzed. Results: The mean serum cfDNA level in glioma patients was found to be higher compared to that in healthy controls. The difference between cfDNA level before surgery and that at 3 months follow-up was found to be statistically significant. Also, the mean serum EVs level in the glioma patients was found to be significantly higher compared to that in the control group. Discussion: Our results suggested that cfDNA and EVs could be used as diagnostic biomarkers in patients with glioma. cfDNA could be also a possible biomarker for the surveillance of glioma patients. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

Keywords

• Liquid biopsy
• Glioblastoma
• cfDNA
• Extracellular vesicles