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International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2023The prediction of chronological age from methylation-based biomarkers represents one of the most promising applications in the field of forensic sciences. Age-prediction... (Review)
Review
The prediction of chronological age from methylation-based biomarkers represents one of the most promising applications in the field of forensic sciences. Age-prediction models developed so far are not easily applicable for forensic caseworkers. Among the several attempts to pursue this objective, the formulation of single-locus models might represent a good strategy. The present work aimed to develop an accurate single-locus model for age prediction exploiting , a gene for which epigenetic alterations are most highly correlated with age. We carried out a systematic review of different published pyrosequencing datasets in which methylation of the promoter was analysed to formulate age prediction models. Nine of these, with available datasets involving 2298 participants, were selected. We found that irrespective of which model was adopted, a very strong relationship between methylation levels and age exists. In particular, the model giving the best age-prediction accuracy was the gradient boosting regressor with a prediction error of about 5.5 years. The findings reported here strongly support the use of for the formulation of a single-locus epigenetic model, but the inclusion of additional, non-redundant markers is a fundamental requirement to apply a molecular model to forensic applications with more robust results.
Topics: Child, Preschool; Humans; Aging; CpG Islands; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; Forensic Genetics
PubMed: 36768576
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032254 -
BMC Neurology Mar 2024MGMT (O 6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase) promoter methylation is a commonly assessed prognostic marker in glioblastoma (GBM). Epigenetic silencing of the MGMT...
BACKGROUND
MGMT (O 6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase) promoter methylation is a commonly assessed prognostic marker in glioblastoma (GBM). Epigenetic silencing of the MGMT gene by promoter methylation is associated with greater overall and progression free survival with alkylating agent regimens. To date, there is marked heterogeneity in how MGMT promoter methylation is tested and which CpG sites are interrogated.
METHODS
To further elucidate which MGMT promoter CpG sites are of greatest interest, we performed comprehensive searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase and reviewed 2,925 article abstracts. We followed the GRADE scoring system to assess risk of bias and the quality of the studies we included.
RESULTS
We included articles on adult glioblastoma that examined significant sites or regions within MGMT promoter for the outcomes: overall survival, progression free survival, and/or MGMT expression. We excluded systemic reviews and articles on lower grade glioma. fifteen articles met inclusion criteria with variable overlap in laboratory and statistical methods employed, as well as CpG sites interrogated. Pyrosequencing or BeadChip arrays were the most popular methods utilized, and CpG sites between CpG's 70-90 were most frequently investigated. Overall, there was moderate concordance between the CpG sites that the studies reported to be highly predictive of prognosis. Combinations or means of sites between CpG's 73-89 were associated with improved OS and PFS. Six studies identified CpG sites associated with prognosis that were closer to the transcription start site: CpG's 8, 19, 22, 25, 27, 32,38, and CpG sites 21-37, as well as low methylation level of the enhancer regions.
CONCLUSION
The following systematic review details a comprehensive investigation of the current literature and highlights several potential key CpG sites that demonstrate significant association with OS, PFS, and MGMT expression. However, the relationship between extent of MGMT promoter methylation and survival may be non-linear and could be influenced by potential CpG hotspots, the extent of methylation at each CpG site, and MGMT enhancer methylation status. There were several limitations within the studies such as smaller sample sizes, variance between methylation testing methods, and differences in the various statistical methods to test for association to outcome. Further studies of high impact CpG sites in MGMT methylation is warranted.
Topics: Humans; Brain Neoplasms; DNA Methylation; DNA Modification Methylases; DNA Repair Enzymes; Glioblastoma; Glioma; Prognosis; Tumor Suppressor Proteins
PubMed: 38521933
DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03605-3 -
Oral Diseases Jul 2021This systematic review was to evaluate the change of oral microbiome based on next-generation sequencing (NGS)-metagenomic analysis following periodontal interventions... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
This systematic review was to evaluate the change of oral microbiome based on next-generation sequencing (NGS)-metagenomic analysis following periodontal interventions among systematically healthy subjects.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A structured search strategy consisting of "metagenomics" and "oral diseases" was applied to PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science to identify effective papers. The included studies were original studies published in English, using metagenomic approach to analyze the effectiveness of periodontal intervention on oral microbiome among systematically healthy human subjects with periodontitis.
RESULTS
A total of 12 papers were included in this review. Due to the heterogeneity of selected study, quantitative analysis was not performed. The findings as to how alpha diversity changed after interventions were not consistent across studies. Six studies illustrated clear separation of microbial composition between dental plaque samples collected before and after intervention using principal coordinates/component analysis. The most commonly detected genera before intervention were Porphyromonas, Treponema, Tannerella, and Prevotella, while Streptococcus and Actinomyces usually increased and became the dominant genera after intervention. Correlation network analysis revealed that after intervention, the topology of network was different compared to the corresponding pre-interventional samples.
CONCLUSION
Existing evidence of metagenomic studies depicts a complex change in oral microbiome after periodontal intervention.
Topics: High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Metagenome; Metagenomics; Microbiota; Periodontitis
PubMed: 32390250
DOI: 10.1111/odi.13405 -
PloS One 2021Before anti-EGFR therapy is given to patients with colorectal cancer, it is required to determine KRAS mutation status in tumor. When tumor tissue is not available,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The diagnostic accuracy of digital PCR, ARMS and NGS for detecting KRAS mutation in cell-free DNA of patients with colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
INTRODUCTION
Before anti-EGFR therapy is given to patients with colorectal cancer, it is required to determine KRAS mutation status in tumor. When tumor tissue is not available, cell-free DNA (liquid biopsy) is commonly used as an alternative. Due to the low abundance of tumor-derived DNA in cell-free DNA samples, methods with high sensitivity were preferred, including digital polymerase chain reaction, amplification refractory mutation system and next-generation sequencing. The aim of this systemic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the accuracy of those methods in detecting KRAS mutation in cell-free DNA sample from patients with colorectal cancer.
METHODS
Literature search was performed in Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Library. After removing duplicates from the 170 publications found by literature search, eligible studies were identified using pre-defined criteria. Quality of the publications and relevant data were assessed and extracted thereafter. Meta-DiSc and STATA softwares were used to pool the accuracy parameters from the extracted data.
RESULTS
A total of 33 eligible studies were identified for this systemic review and meta-analysis. After pooling, the overall sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.77 (95%CI: 0.74-0.79), 0.87 (95%CI: 0.85-0.89), and 23.96 (95%CI: 13.72-41.84), respectively. The overall positive and negative likelihood ratios were 5.55 (95%CI: 3.76-8.19) and 0.29 (95%CI: 0.21-0.38), respectively. Area under curve of the summarized ROC curve was 0.8992.
CONCLUSION
Digital polymerase chain reaction, amplification refractory mutation system, and next-generation sequencing had overall high accuracy in detecting KRAS mutation in cell-free DNA sample. Large prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to further convince the accuracy and usefulness of KRAS mutation detection using cfDNA/liquid biopsy samples in clinical practice.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42020176682; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=176682.
Topics: Circulating Tumor DNA; Colorectal Neoplasms; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Mutation; Odds Ratio; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); Publication Bias; Publications; ROC Curve
PubMed: 33770081
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248775 -
NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes May 2024Childhood stunting is associated with impaired cognitive development and increased risk of infections, morbidity, and mortality. The composition of the enteric... (Review)
Review
Childhood stunting is associated with impaired cognitive development and increased risk of infections, morbidity, and mortality. The composition of the enteric microbiota may contribute to the pathogenesis of stunting. We systematically reviewed and synthesized data from studies using high-throughput genomic sequencing methods to characterize the gut microbiome in stunted versus non-stunted children under 5 years in LMICs. We included 14 studies from Asia, Africa, and South America. Most studies did not report any significant differences in the alpha diversity, while a significantly higher beta diversity was observed in stunted children in four out of seven studies that reported beta diversity. At the phylum level, inconsistent associations with stunting were observed for Bacillota, Pseudomonadota, and Bacteroidota phyla. No single genus was associated with stunted children across all 14 studies, and some associations were incongruent by specific genera. Nonetheless, stunting was associated with an abundance of pathobionts that could drive inflammation, such as Escherichia/Shigella and Campylobacter, and a reduction of butyrate producers, including Faecalibacterium, Megasphera, Blautia, and increased Ruminoccoccus. An abundance of taxa thought to originate in the oropharynx was also reported in duodenal and fecal samples of stunted children, while metabolic pathways, including purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis, vitamin B biosynthesis, and carbohydrate and amino acid degradation pathways, predicted linear growth. Current studies show that stunted children can have distinct microbial patterns compared to non-stunted children, which could contribute to the pathogenesis of stunting.
Topics: Child, Preschool; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Bacteria; Feces; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Growth Disorders; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
PubMed: 38782939
DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00517-5 -
Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver... Jun 2020The coexistence of RAS and BRAF mutations is extremely rare, occurring in approximately 0.05% of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Starting from a case...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
The coexistence of RAS and BRAF mutations is extremely rare, occurring in approximately 0.05% of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Starting from a case presentation, this review aims to examine the prevalence, clinical, histopathological and molecular features of tumors with concomitant mutations.
METHODS
Case report and systematic review. We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed and EMBASE using the following MeSH terms: "coexistence" OR "concomitant" AND "RAS" AND "BRAF" AND "colorectal cancer" from the inception of the databases onwards.
RESULTS
We present the case of a 53-year-old man diagnosed with metastatic rectal adenocarcinoma with both a KRAS and a BRAF mutation. The review included eleven papers reporting on a total of 30 mCRC cases with concomitant RAS and BRAF mutations. The male/female ratio was 11/5. The average age was 58.5 years. The tumor was located in nine cases on the right colon and in two cases in the left colon. 43.3% of subjects had liver metastases, and 6.6% had lung metastases. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used in 36.6% of cases and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 16.6% of cases. KRAS mutations were present in 83.3% of patients and NRAS mutations in 16.6% of patients. Survival could be assessed in 10 patients and the median was 21.1 months (about 30% lower than the survival in the general mCRC population).
CONCLUSION
The results of this systematic review suggest the need to design a cohort study (either prospective or retrospective) to better characterize the patients with concomitant RAS and BRAF mutations and to establish the optimal treatment for this rare situation.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Antineoplastic Protocols; Colorectal Neoplasms; Female; GTP Phosphohydrolases; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Membrane Proteins; Middle Aged; Mutation; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Staging; Pharmacogenomic Testing; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); Rectal Neoplasms; Rectum; Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors; Survival Analysis
PubMed: 32530992
DOI: 10.15403/jgld-1003 -
The Science of the Total Environment Mar 2024Livestock facilities are widely regarded as reservoirs of infectious disease, owing to their abundance in particulate matter (PM) and microbial bioaerosols. Over the... (Review)
Review
Livestock facilities are widely regarded as reservoirs of infectious disease, owing to their abundance in particulate matter (PM) and microbial bioaerosols. Over the past decade, bioaerosol studies have increasingly utilised high throughput sequencing (HTS) to achieve superior throughput, taxonomic resolution, and the detection of unculturable organisms. However, the prevailing focus on amplicon sequencing has limited the identification of viruses and microbial taxa at the species-level. Herein, a literature search was conducted to identify methods capable of overcoming the aforementioned limitations. Screening 1531 international publications resulted in 29 eligible for review. Metagenomics capable of providing rich insights were identified in only three instances. Notably, long-read sequencing was not utilised for metagenomics. This review also identified that sample collection methods lack a uniform approach, highlighted by the differences in sampling equipment, flow rates and durations. Further heterogeneity was introduced by the unique sampling conditions, which makes it challenging to ground new findings within the established literature. For instance, winter was associated with increased microbial abundance and antimicrobial resistance, yet less alpha diversity. Researchers implementing metagenomics into the livestock environment should consider season, the microclimate, and livestock growth stage as influential upon their findings. Considering the increasing accessibility of long-read sequencing, future research should explore its viability within a novel uniform testing protocol for bioaerosol emissions.
Topics: Animals; Livestock; Metagenomics; Particulate Matter; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Aerosols
PubMed: 38331298
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170722 -
Positive Correlation of Thyroid Nodule Cytology with Molecular Profiling-a Single-Center Experience.Endocrine Pathology Dec 2021Despite several reports on the association between molecular profiling, aggressive histology, and clinical outcomes, the association between mutation expression and...
Despite several reports on the association between molecular profiling, aggressive histology, and clinical outcomes, the association between mutation expression and pre-operative cytology is yet to be demonstrated. Therefore, we performed a retrospective, single-center study, including all patients who underwent molecular profiling of thyroid nodules in Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC) categories III to VI, between 2018 and 2019. Medical records were reviewed to collect demographics, cytology results according to BSRTC, final pathology (presence of malignancy and its type, as well as presence of aggressive features, including extrathyroidal extension, positive neck lymph nodes, and multifocality), and the identified genetic variants stratified by risk levels, according to the 2015 ATA guidelines. We supplemented this analysis with a systematic review to identify the variant distributions across the literature. We included data on 55 nodules from 48 patients for the final analysis. A significant positive correlation was found between BSRTC categories and the mutation risk level, shown by an increase in the intermediate to high-risk mutation rate in the higher BSRTC categories (Rs = 0.660, p ≤ 0.001). A significant positive correlation was also found between mutation risk levels and the presence of malignancy and aggressive tumor features (Rs = 0.637, p < 0.001 and Rs = 0.459, p = 0.006, respectively). This novel positive and significant correlation between BSRTC categories and the mutation risk level provides additional insight to aid clinicians in the interpretation of BSRTC results and may contribute to the discussion of appropriate management of thyroid nodule with patients.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Biopsy, Fine-Needle; Cytodiagnosis; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genetic Association Studies; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Israel; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroid Nodule; Transcriptome
PubMed: 34086262
DOI: 10.1007/s12022-021-09680-3 -
Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology :... Jan 2022To determine the diagnostic yield of exome or genome sequencing (ES/GS) over chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in fetuses with increased nuchal translucency (NT) and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To determine the diagnostic yield of exome or genome sequencing (ES/GS) over chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in fetuses with increased nuchal translucency (NT) and no concomitant anomalies.
METHODS
This systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for studies describing ES/GS in fetuses with isolated increased NT. Inclusion criteria were: (1) study written in English; (2) more than two fetuses with increased NT > 99 percentile and no concomitant anomalies; and (3) a negative CMA result considered as the reference standard. Only positive variants identified on ES/GS that were classified as likely pathogenic or pathogenic and determined to be causative of the fetal phenotype were considered. Risk was assessed as the pooled effect size by single-proportion analysis using random-effects modeling (weighted by inverse of variance).
RESULTS
Eleven studies reporting on the diagnostic yield of ES/GS in fetuses with isolated increased NT > 99 percentile were identified and included 309 cases. All studies were high quality according to Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy. Overall, a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant was identified on ES/GS in 15 fetuses, resulting in a pooled incremental yield of 4% (95% CI, 2-6%). Six (40%) of these fetuses had NT of 5 mm or more. The observed inheritance pattern was autosomal dominant in 12 cases, including four fetuses with Noonan syndrome, autosomal recessive in two cases and X-linked in one case.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a 4% incremental diagnostic yield of ES/GS over CMA in fetuses with increased NT > 99 percentile without a concomitant anomaly. It is unclear whether a NT cut-off higher than 3.5 mm may be more useful in case selection for ES/GS. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Topics: Female; Fetus; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Microarray Analysis; Nuchal Translucency Measurement; Predictive Value of Tests; Pregnancy; Prenatal Diagnosis; Reference Values
PubMed: 34309942
DOI: 10.1002/uog.23746 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2022() is an opportunistic pathogen. Patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) have been increasingly diagnosed with in recent years. The disseminated infection of...
() is an opportunistic pathogen. Patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) have been increasingly diagnosed with in recent years. The disseminated infection of can be life-threatening without timely and effective antifungal therapy. Rapid and accurate pathogenic microbiological diagnosis is particularly critical for these patients. A total of 505 patients with IEI were admitted to our hospital between January 2019 and June 2022, among whom was detected in 6 patients by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), and their clinical and immunological characteristics were summarized. We performed a systematic literature review on infections with published immunodeficiency-related gene mutations. All patients in our cohort were confirmed to have genetic mutations in , , , , and . was detected in both the blood and lymph nodes of P1 with mutations, and the clinical manifestations were serious and included recurrent fever, weight loss, severe anemia, splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy, all requiring long-term antifungal therapy. These six patients received antifungal treatment, which relieved symptoms and improved imaging findings. Five patients survived, while one patient died of sepsis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The application of mNGS methods for pathogen detection in IEI patients and comparison with traditional diagnosis methods were investigated. Traditional diagnostic methods and mNGS tests were performed simultaneously in 232 patients with IEI. Compared to the traditional methods, the sensitivity and specificity of mNGS in diagnosing infection were 100% and 98.7%, respectively. The reporting time for detection was approximately 26 hours by mNGS, 3-14 days by culture, and 6-11 days by histopathology. infection was first reported in IEI patients with gene mutation, which expanded the IEI lineage susceptible to . For IEI patients with infection, we highlight the application of mNGS in pathogenic detection. mNGS is recommended as a front-line diagnostic test for rapidly identifying pathogens in complex and severe infections.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; China; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Mycoses; Talaromyces; Technology
PubMed: 36159645
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.987692