An international collaboration to harmonize the quantitative plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA assay for future biomarker-guided trials in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Persistently elevated posttreatment plasma EBV DNA is a robust predictor of relapse in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, assay standardization is necessary for use in biomarker-driven trials. We conducted a study to harmonize the method between four centers with expertise in EBV DNA quantitation.

Experimental design

Plasma samples of 40 patients with NPC were distributed to four centers. DNA was extracted and EBV DNA copy number was determined by real-time quantitative PCR (BamHI-W primer/probe). Centers used the same protocol but generated their own calibrators. A harmonization study was then conducted using the same calibrators and PCR master mix and validated with ten pooled samples.

Results

The initial intraclass correlations (ICC) for the first 40

SUBMITTER: Le QT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3630245 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature