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2 . 2023

New opportunities for early prediction of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix: risk stratification based on the analysis of gene methylation

Abstract

Nowadays, cervical cancer (CC) remains one of the urgent problems of world health. Today, close attention is paid to the organization of screening for CC and increasing the level of its predictive effectiveness. Thus, given the limited capabilities of already known screening methods, such as testing for HPV DNA and cytological examination, many researchers are studying the prospects for the development and introduction into clinical practice of new diagnostic methods that could complement or, possibly, a worthy alternative to conventional screening methods for cervical cancer. One of these methods may be the analysis of DNA methylation of certain genes, the modification of which is most characteristic of malignant neoplasms of the cervix. On the example of many studies, it was shown that the detection of abnormal methylation of various genes positively correlated not only with the risk of developing cervical cancer, but also with precancerous lesions of the cervix. This article presents the experience accumulated in the world of applying the analysis of hypermethylation of various panels of genes in relation to determining the risks of developing cervical cancer, HSIL and LSIL.

Keywords:squamous intraepithelial lesions; epigenetic changes; DNA methylation

Funding. The study had no sponsor support.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

For citation: Andreev A.O., Bayramova G.R., Zaretsky A.R., Rebrikov D.V., Baranov I.I. New opportunities for early prediction of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix: risk stratification based on the analysis of gene methylation. Akusherstvo i ginekologiya: novosti, mneniya, obuchenie [Obstetrics and Gynecology: News, Opinions, Training]. 2023; 11 (2): 44–9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33029/2303-9698-2023-11-2-44-49 (in Russian)

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Если обратиться к статистическим показателям эффективности методов диагностики, то существуют убедительные данные, свидетельствующие о высоких уровнях чувствительности и специфичности анализа метилирования FAM19A4/miR124-2, соотносимые с жидкостной цитологией и тестированием на ДНК ВПЧ. Так, сообщается, что комбинированная чувствительность анализа метилирования FAM19A4/miR124-2 к раку шейки матки составила 95% (от 88 до 100%, по данным разных источников), для CIN III - 77% (от 71 до 82%), для CIN II - варьировала от 33,3 до 61,1% [6]. Общая специфичность FAM19A4/miR124-2 составляет 78,3%. Отрицательная прогностическая ценность достигла уровня 99,9% для рака шейки матки, 96,9% для ≥CIN III и 93,0% для ≥CIN II. При этом положительная прогностическая ценность составила 28,3% для ≥CIN III и 36,7% для ≥CIN II.

Заключение

По данным базы PubMed, за период с 2015 по 2023 г. опубликовано всего 22 работы по теме метилирования FAM19A4/mir124-2, ввиду чего становится очевидной научная перспектива дальнейших исследований по этой теме. При этом, несмотря на приведенные убедительные данные об эффективности использования тестов на метилирование ДНК, в будущем необходимо найти способ избегать компрометации результатов исследования вследствие возможного обнаружения физиологически метилированных форм ДНК.

Таким образом, анализ определения аномального метилирования FAM19A4/miR124-2 может служить не только новым эффективным дополнением к уже имеющимся скрининговым методам, а возможно, и будущей достойной альтернативой в проведении скрининга на РШМ.

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10. Kremer W.W., Steenbergen R., Heideman D., Kenter G.G., Meijer C. The use of host cell DNA methylation analysis in the detection and management of women with advanced cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: a review // BJOG. 2021. Vol. 128, N 3. P. 504-514. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.16395 Epub 2020 Aug 9. PMID: 32619334; PMCID: PMC7818489.

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13. El Aliani A., El-Abid H., El Mallali Y., Attaleb M., Ennaji M.M., El Mzibri M. Association between gene promoter methylation and cervical cancer development: global distribution and a meta-analysis // Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 2021. Vol. 30, N 3. P. 450-459. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.epi-20-0833 Epub 2021 Jan 13. PMID: 33441308.

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15. Yoon J.H. et al. Methylated CpG dinucleotides are the preferential targets for G-to-T transversion mutations induced by benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide in mammalian cells: similarities with the p53 mutation spectrum in smoking-associated lung cancers // Cancer Res. 2001. Vol. 61. P. 7110-7117.

16. Kong L., Wang L., Wang Z., Xiao X., You Y., Wu H. et al. DNA methylation for cervical cancer screening: a training set in China // Clin. Epigenetics. 2020. Vol. 12, N 1. P. 91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13148-020-00885-7 PMID: 32576279; PMCID: PMC7310541.

17. Vink F.J., Meijer C.J.L.M., Clifford G.M., Poljak M., Oštrbenk A., Petry K.U. et al. FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation in invasive cervical cancer: a retrospective cross-sectional worldwide study // Int. J. Cancer. 2020. Vol. 147, N 4. P. 1215-1221. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.32614 Epub 2019 Sep 9. PMID: 31390052; PMCID: PMC7383900.

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19. Bu Q., Wang S., Ma J., Zhou X., Hu G., Deng H. et al. The clinical significance of FAM19A4 methylation in high-risk HPV-positive cervical samples for the detection of cervical (pre)cancer in Chinese women // BMC Cancer. 2018. Vol. 18, N 1. P. 1182. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-018-4877-5 PMID: 30486875; PMCID: PMC6263049.

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21. Wang F., Liu M., Li X., Tang H. MiR-214 reduces cell survival and enhances cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity via down-regulation of Bcl2l2 in cervical cancer cells // FEBS Lett. 2013. Vol. 587, N 5. P. 488-495. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2013.01.016 Epub 2013 Jan 18. PMID: 23337879.

22. 21. Henken F.E., Wilting S.M., Overmeer R.M., van Rietschoten J.G., Nygren A.O., Errami A. et al. Sequential gene promoter methylation during HPV-induced cervical carcinogenesis // Br. J. Cancer. 2007. Vol. 97. P. 1457-1464. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6604055

23. Widschwendter A., Muller H.M., Fiegl H., Ivarsson L., Wiedemair A., Muller-Holzner E. et al. DNA methylation in serum and tumors of cervical cancer patients // Clin. Cancer Res. 2004. Vol. 10. P. 565-571. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-0825-03

24. Overmeer R.M., Henken F.E., Bierkens M., Wilting S.M., Timmerman I., Meijer C.J. et al. Repression of MAL tumor suppressor activity by promoter methylation during cervical carcinogenesis // J. Pathol. 2009. Vol. 219, N 3. P. 327-336.

25. Lujambio A., Ropero S., Ballestar E., Fraga M.F., Cerrato C., Setien F. et al. Genetic unmasking of an epigenetically silenced microRNA in human cancer cells // Cancer Res. 2007. Vol. 67. P. 1424-1429. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-4218

26. Wilting S.M., van Boerdonk R.A., Henken F.E., Meijer C.J., Diosdado B., Meijer G.A. et al. Methylation-mediated silencing and tumour suppressive function of hsa-miR-124 in cervical cancer // Mol. Cancer. 2010. Vol. 9. P. 167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-4598-9-167 PMID: 20579385; PMCID: PMC2917428.

27. Shen S., Zhang S., Liu P., Wang J., Du H. Potential role of microRNAs in the treatment and diagnosis of cervical cancer // Cancer Genet. 2020. Vol. 248-249. P. 25-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cancergen.2020.09.003

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CHIEF EDITORS
CHIEF EDITOR
Sukhikh Gennadii Tikhonovich
Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, V.I. Kulakov Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology National Medical Research Center of Ministry of Healthсаre of the Russian Federation, Moscow
CHIEF EDITOR
Kurtser Mark Arkadievich
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, MD, Professor, Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Subdepartment of the Pediatric Department, N.I. Pirogov Russian National Scientific Research Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation
CHIEF EDITOR
Radzinsky Viktor Evseevich
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, MD, Professor, Head of the Subdepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology with a Course of Perinatology of the Medical Institute in the Russian People's Friendship University named after P. Lumumbа

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