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DNA Methylation Profiling Defines Clinically Relevant Biological Subsets of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) comprise multiple distinct biological groups with different prognoses. For example, patients with epithelial-like (EL) tumors have a better prognosis and exhibit greater sensitivity to inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway than patients with mesenchymal-like (ML) tumors. Here we test the hypothesis that EL NSCLCs can be distinguished from ML NSCLCs on the basis of global DNA methylation patterns. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: To determine whether phenotypic subsets of NSCLC can be defined based on their DNA methylation patterns, we combined microfluidics-based gene expression analysis and genome-wide methylation profiling. We derived robust classifiers for both gene expression and methylation in cell lines and tested these classifiers in surgically resected NSCLC tumors. We validate our approach using quantitative RT-PCR and methylation specific PCR in formalin-fixed biopsies from NSCLC patients who went on to fail front-line chemotherapy. RESULTS: We show that patterns of methylation divide NSCLCs into EL and ML subsets as defined by gene expression and that these signatures are similarly correlated in NSCLC cell lines and tumors. We identify multiple DMRs, including ERBB2 and ZEB2, whose methylation status is strongly associated with an epithelial phenotype in NSCLC cell lines, surgically resected tumors, and formalin-fixed biopsies from NSCLC patients who went on to fail front-line chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that patterns of DNA methylation can divide NSCLCs into two phenotypically distinct subtypes of tumors and provide proof of principle that differences in DNA methylation can be used for predictive biomarker discovery and development.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE36216 | GEO | 2012/03/03

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA153115

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:PURPOSE: Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) comprise multiple distinct biological groups with different prognoses. For example, patients with epithelial-like (EL) tumors have a better prognosis and exhibit greater sensitivity to inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway than patients with mesenchymal-like (ML) tumors. Here we test the hypothesis that EL NSCLCs can be distinguished from ML NSCLCs on the basis of global DNA methylation patterns. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: To determine whether phenotypic subsets of NSCLC can be defined based on their DNA methylation patterns, we combined microfluidics-based gene expression analysis and genome-wide methylation profiling. We derived robust classifiers for both gene expression and methylation in cell lines and tested these classifiers in surgically resected NSCLC tumors. We validate our approach using quantitative RT-PCR and methylation specific PCR in formalin-fixed biopsies from NSCLC patients who went on to fail front-line chemotherapy. RESULTS: We show that patterns of methylation divide NSCLCs into EL and ML subsets as defined by gene expression and that these signatures are similarly correlated in NSCLC cell lines and tumors. We identify multiple DMRs, including ERBB2 and ZEB2, whose methylation status is strongly associated with an epithelial phenotype in NSCLC cell lines, surgically resected tumors, and formalin-fixed biopsies from NSCLC patients who went on to fail front-line chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that patterns of DNA methylation can divide NSCLCs into two phenotypically distinct subtypes of tumors and provide proof of principle that differences in DNA methylation can be used for predictive biomarker discovery and development. To determine whether phenotypic subsets of NSCLC can be defined based on their DNA methylation patterns, we combined microfluidics-based gene expression analysis and genome-wide methylation profiling. We derived robust classifiers for both gene expression and methylation in cell lines and tested these classifiers in surgically resected NSCLC tumors. We validate our approach using quantitative RT-PCR and methylation specific PCR in formalin-fixed biopsies from NSCLC patients who went on to fail front-line chemotherapy.

Project description:Epigenetic changes largely contribute to the regulation of gene expression in cancer cells. DNA methylation is part of the epigenetic gene regulation complex which is relevant for the pathogenesis of cancer. We performed a genome-wide search for methylated CpG islands in tumors and corresponding non-malignant lung tissue samples of 101 stage I-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients by combining methylated DNA immunoprecipitation and microarray analysis using NimbleGenM-BM-4s 385K Human CpG Island plus Promoter arrays. By testing for differences in methylation between tumors and corresponding non-malignant lung tissues, we identified 298 tumor-specifically methylated genes. From many of these genes epigenetic regulation was unknown so far. Gene Ontology analysis revealed an over-representation of genes involved in regulation of gene expression and cell adhesion. Expression of 182 of 298 genes was found to be upregulated after 5-aza-2M-BM-4-deoxycytidine (Aza-dC) and/or trichostatin A (TSA) treatment of 3 NSCLC cell lines by Affymetrix microarray analysis. In addition, methylation of selected genes in primary NSCLCs and corresponding non-malignant lung tissue samples were analyzed by methylation-sensitive high resolution melting analysis (MS-HRM). Our results obtained by MS-HRM analysis confirmed our data obtained by MeDIP-chip analysis. Moreover, by comparing methylation results from MeDIP-chip analysis with clinico-pathological parameters of the patients we observed methylation of HOXA2 as potential parameter for shorter disease-free survival of NSCLC patients. In conclusion, using a genome-wide approach we identified a large number of tumor-specifically methylated genes in NSCLC patients. Our results stress the importance of DNA methylation for the pathogenesis of NSCLCs. Overall, samples of 3 untreated, with Aza-dC treated and with Aza-dC/TSA treated NSCLC cell lines were hybridized to Affymetrix HG-U133_plus_2.0 microarrays (18 in total).

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DNA Methylation Profiling Defines Clinically Relevant Biological Subsets of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

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