Department of Medical Biochemistry and Haematology, University of Zagreb Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia.
Centre for Applied Medical Biochemistry, University of Zagreb Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia.
Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 6;14(1):26925. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-78497-x.
Liquid biopsy has an underexplored diagnostic potential in colorectal cancer (CRC). Sufficient quantity and quality of its elements (circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA), exosomes and exosomal RNA) are essential for accurate results. The present study aims to establish the optimal protocol for handling liquid biopsy samples. Samples were obtained by collecting peripheral blood from colorectal adenoma patients in CellSave tubes. Plasma was separated within six hours using differential centrifugation and aliquots stored at - 20/- 80 °C until further processing. Three methods for isolation of ccfDNA, and two combinations of kits for isolation of exosomes and exosomal RNA were tested. The quality and quantity of ccfDNA isolates were evaluated. Exosomes were characterised by determining size, concentration, and total and specific protein content. Expression of chosen microRNAs, miR-19a-3p and miR-92-3p, which have been implicated in CRC progression, were determined. The vacuum-column-based kit showed the highest quantities of isolated ccfDNA (P-value < 0.001). Kits for exosome isolation significantly differed in size (P-value = 0.016), concentration (P-value = 0.016) and protein content (P-value = 0.016). There was no significant difference in expressions of miR-19a-3p (P-value = 0.219) and miR-92a-3p (P-value = 0.094) between the two isolation kits. The new, adapted protocol described, enables simultaneous analysis of multiple elements when investigating potential biomarkers of CRC.
液体活检在结直肠癌(CRC)的诊断中具有未被充分探索的潜力。其元素(循环无细胞 DNA(ccfDNA)、外泌体和外泌体 RNA)的足够数量和质量对于准确的结果至关重要。本研究旨在建立处理液体活检样本的最佳方案。通过在 CellSave 管中收集结直肠腺瘤患者的外周血获得样本。使用差速离心在六小时内分离血浆,并将等分试样储存在-20/-80°C,直到进一步处理。测试了三种分离 ccfDNA 的方法和两种用于分离外泌体和外泌体 RNA 的试剂盒组合。评估了 ccfDNA 分离物的质量和数量。通过确定大小、浓度以及总蛋白和特异性蛋白含量来表征外泌体。确定了与 CRC 进展相关的选定 microRNA,miR-19a-3p 和 miR-92-3p 的表达。基于真空柱的试剂盒显示分离的 ccfDNA 数量最高(P 值<0.001)。外泌体分离试剂盒在大小(P 值=0.016)、浓度(P 值=0.016)和蛋白质含量(P 值=0.016)方面存在显著差异。两种分离试剂盒中 miR-19a-3p(P 值=0.219)和 miR-92a-3p(P 值=0.094)的表达没有显著差异。描述的新适应方案可在研究 CRC 潜在生物标志物时同时分析多个元素。