Open Access

Use of peripheral blood transcriptomic biomarkers to distinguish high‑grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions from low‑grade lesions

  • Authors:
    • Cunhua Zou
    • Yali Lyu
    • Jing Jiang
    • Yuan Cao
    • Min Wang
    • Changmei Sang
    • Ruirui  Zhang
    • Haifeng Li
    • Choong‑Chin Liew
    • Changming Cheng
    • Shuping Zhao
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: June 26, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.11779
  • Pages: 2280-2290
  • Copyright: © Zou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

It is crucial to classify cervical lesions into high‑grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) and low‑grade SILs (LSILs), as LSILs are conservatively treated by observation, based on an expectation of natural regression, whereas HSILs usually require electrosurgical excision. In the present study, peripheral blood gene expression profiles were analyzed to identify transcriptomic biomarkers distinguishing HSILs from LSILs. A total of 102 blood samples were collected from women with cervical SILs (66 HSIL and 36 LSIL) for microarray hybridization. Candidate gene signatures were identified using AdaBoost algorithms, and a predictive model was constructed using logistic regression to differentiate HSILs from LSILs. To correct for possible bias as a result of the limited sample size and to verify the stability of the predictive model, a two‑fold cross validation and null set analysis was conducted over 1,000 iterations. The functions of the transcriptomic biomarkers were then analyzed to elucidate the pathogenesis of cervical SIL. A total of 10 transcriptomic genes (STMN3, TRPC4AP, DYRK2, AGK, KIAA0319L, GRPEL1, ZFC3H1, LYL1, ITGB1 and ARHGAP18) were identified. The predictive model based on the 10‑gene panel exhibited well‑discriminated power. A cross validation process using known disease status exhibited almost the same performance as that of the predictive model, whereas null‑set analysis with randomly reassigned disease status exhibited much lower predictive performance for distinguishing HSILs from LSILs. These biomarkers were involved in the ‘Rho GTPase cycle’, ‘mitochondrial protein import’, ‘oncogenic MAPK signaling’, ‘integrin cell surface interaction’ and ‘signaling by BRAF and RAF fusions’. In conclusion, peripheral blood gene expression analysis is a promising method for distinguishing HSILs from LSILs. The present study proposes 10 candidate genes that could be used in the future as diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for cervical SILs. A simple, non‑invasive blood test would be clinically useful in the diagnosis and classification of patients with cervical SILs.
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September-2020
Volume 20 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1792-1074
Online ISSN:1792-1082

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Spandidos Publications style
Zou C, Lyu Y, Jiang J, Cao Y, Wang M, Sang C, Zhang R, Li H, Liew CC, Cheng C, Cheng C, et al: Use of peripheral blood transcriptomic biomarkers to distinguish high‑grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions from low‑grade lesions. Oncol Lett 20: 2280-2290, 2020
APA
Zou, C., Lyu, Y., Jiang, J., Cao, Y., Wang, M., Sang, C. ... Zhao, S. (2020). Use of peripheral blood transcriptomic biomarkers to distinguish high‑grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions from low‑grade lesions. Oncology Letters, 20, 2280-2290. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.11779
MLA
Zou, C., Lyu, Y., Jiang, J., Cao, Y., Wang, M., Sang, C., Zhang, R., Li, H., Liew, C., Cheng, C., Zhao, S."Use of peripheral blood transcriptomic biomarkers to distinguish high‑grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions from low‑grade lesions". Oncology Letters 20.3 (2020): 2280-2290.
Chicago
Zou, C., Lyu, Y., Jiang, J., Cao, Y., Wang, M., Sang, C., Zhang, R., Li, H., Liew, C., Cheng, C., Zhao, S."Use of peripheral blood transcriptomic biomarkers to distinguish high‑grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions from low‑grade lesions". Oncology Letters 20, no. 3 (2020): 2280-2290. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.11779