Septin 9 promoter region methylation in free circulating DNA—potential role in noninvasive diagnosis of lung cancer: preliminary report

Currently, there are no sensitive diagnostic tests that could allow early detection of lung cancer. Among some cancer patients, epigenetic changes in the nature of methylation of different gene promoter regions are observed, which affect expression of suppressor genes such as septin 9 (SEPT9). Due to the ability of detecting these changes in free circulating DNA in peripheral blood, such genes may become ideal markers in early and noninvasive diagnostics of cancer. Methylation of SEPT9 promoter region in plasma DNA is observed frequently in colorectal cancer patients. The aim of the study was to define the frequency of SEPT9 promoter methylation in lung cancer patients and evaluation of usefulness of this marker in early diagnostic of lung cancer. Plasma samples were obtained from 70 untreated patients with different lung cancer pathological diagnosis and disease stage and from 100 healthy individuals. DNA was isolated from peripheral blood plasma and was then subjected to bisulfitation, purification and elution using Abbott mSEPT9 Detection Kit. Methylation level was assessed by real-time PCR with the use of specific SEPT9 promoter methylation probe. Each sample was assayed in the presence of positive and negative control. SEPT9 promoter methylation was detected in 31 (44.3% of the whole studied group) of lung cancer patients finding the result positive when methylation was detected in 1 out of 3 repetitions of each test sample determinations. The marker was present in patients with different pathological diagnosis and disease stage. Analysis of SEPT9 promoter region methylation may be useful in early diagnosis of lung cancer.