Application of DNA methylation in detection of endometrial carcinoma in women with abnormal uterine bleeding at childbearing age / 中华检验医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:This work aims to explore the application value of cervical exfoliated cell DNA (Cysteine dioxygenase type 1, CDO1 and CUGBP Elav-like family member 4, CELF4) methylation in the detection of endometrial cancer in women of childbearing age. Methods:From November 2021 to October 2022, a prospective study was conducted on a total number of 517 reproductive-age women with abnormal uterine bleeding who had surgical indications for hysteroscopy at the Xiangya Third Hospital of Central South University. The cervical exfoliated cells were collected for cytology, HPV (human papillomavirus) and gene methylation detection before operation. Clinical information of patients, level of tumor-related biomarkers, and endometrial thickness of transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) were also collected. Single factor regression method was used to analyze the high-risk factors of endometrial cancer. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to obtain the area under the curve(AUC), focusing on the screening efficacy of gene methylation test for endometrial cancer in women of childbearing age.Results:The age, body mass index (BMI)≥25 kg/m 2, endometrial thickness≥11 mm, CDO1 m &Delta;Ct≤8.4, CELF4 m &Delta;Ct≤8.8, and double gene methylation were associated with endometrial cancer in women of childbearing age, 1.16(1.08-1.25), 4.33(1.89-10.31), 9.49(3.88-26.69), 69.62(25.70-224.36), 23.64(9.66-63.99), 87.39(24.83-555.05), all P<0.05. The AUC was 0.90 (95% CI 0.83-0.97) of CDO1 m/ CELF4 m in diagnosing endometrial carcinoma was higher than others factors, with sensitivity and specificity of 91.7% (95% CI 80.6%-100%) and 88.8% (95% CI 86.0%-91.6%). TVS combined with DNA methylation detection further improved the sensitivity to 95.8% (95% CI 87.8%-100%), but could not improve the specificity 68.0% (95% CI 63.8%-72.1%). Conclusions:For women of childbearing age with abnormal uterine bleeding or abnormal vaginal discharge, the accuracy of cervical cytology DNA methyl detection of endometrial cancer is better than other non-invasive clinical programs. DNA methylation combined with TVS can improve the sensitivity of detection.