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PCDHGA12 methylation biomarker in bronchial washing specimens as an adjunctive diagnostic tool to bronchoscopy in lung cancer

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The use of bronchoscopy is central to the diagnosis of lung cancer. However, the sensitivity of bronchoscopy is low. In addition, bronchial washing cytology, which is a routine adjunctive test, does not significantly improve the performance of bronchoscopy owing to its low sensitivity. To enhance the diagnostic performance of bronchoscopy, the protocadherin GA12 (PCDHGA12) methylation biomarker in bronchial washings was introduced as a novel adjunctive diagnostic test. A total of 98 patients who underwent bronchoscopy owing to suspicion of lung cancer were analyzed. Cytological examination and PCDHGA12 methylation biomarker testing of the bronchial washing fluid were performed. The performance of the tests was analyzed. The final diagnosis in 60 patients was lung cancer and in 38 patients was benign disease. The PCDHGA12 methylation biomarker had a sensitivity of 75.0%, a specificity of 78.9% and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 84.9%, whereas cytological assessment had a sensitivity of 45.0%, a specificity of 92.1% and a PPV of 90%. Patients with positive PCDHGA12 methylation test had an odds ratio for lung cancer of 11.25 (confidence interval, 4.2529.8) compared with negative subjects. The combination of the two tests exhibited an increased sensitivity (83.3%), a specificity of 71.1% and a PPV of 82.0%. Furthermore, considering the nondiagnostic bronchoscopy group alone, the test demonstrated a sensitivity of 61.9% and a specificity of 78.9%. The results of the present study demonstrated that PCDHGA12 methylation, as a lung cancer biomarker in bronchial washings, may be a used as an adjunctive test to bronchoscopy.

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Internal Medicine, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea 2: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Dongnam Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Pusan 46033, Republic of Korea 3: Department of Pathology, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon 34027, Republic of Korea 4: Genomictree, Inc., Daejeon 34027, Republic of Korea 5: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan 44033, Republic of Korea 6: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon 35233, Republic of Korea 7: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Eulji University College of Medicine, Daejeon 35233, Republic of Korea

Publication date: July 1, 2018

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  • Oncology Letters is a monthly, peer-reviewed journal, available in print and online, that focuses on all aspects of clinical oncology, as well as in vitro and in vivo experimental model systems relevant to the mechanisms of disease.

    The principal aim of Oncology Letters is to provide the prompt publication of original studies of high quality that pertain to clinical oncology, chemotherapy, oncogenes, carcinogenesis, metastasis, epidemiology and viral oncology in the form of original research, reviews and case reports.
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