Non-invasive Prenatal Gene Diagnosis: Progress through Cell-free Fetal DNA and RNA in Maternal Plasma and Urine

Non-invasive prenatal gene diagnosis has been developed rapidly in the recent years, and numerous medical researchers are focusing on it. Such techniques could not only achieve prenatal diagnosis accurately, but also prevent tangential illness in fetuses and thus, reduce the incidence of diseases. Moreover, it is non-invasive prenatal gene diagnosis that prevents potential threaten and danger to both mothers and fetuses. Therefore, it is welcomed by clinical gynecologist and obstetrian, researchers of medical genetics, and especially, pregnancies. This review article touches briefly on the advanced development of using cell-free DNA, RNA in maternal plasma and urine for non-invasive prenatal gene diagnosis.

Clinical use of donor-derived cell-free DNA in kidney transplantation

Traditional monitoring of kidney transplant recipients for allograft dysfunction caused by rejection involves serial checks of serum creatinine with biopsy of the renal allograft if dysfunction is suspected.This approach is labor-intensive,invasive and costly.In addition,because this approach relies on a rise in serum creatinine above historical baselines,injury to the allograft can be extensive before this rise occurs.In an effort to address this,donor-derived cell-free DNA(dd-cf DNA)is being used with increasing frequency in the clinical setting as a means of diagnosing a rejection of the renal allograft early in the course.This can poten-tially allow for early intervention to minimize not only injury,but the intensity of antirejection therapy needed and the avoidance of side effects.Here,we will review the available methodology for the determination and quantification of dd-cf DNA,the data supporting its use in clinical practice and the limitations of this technology.

Prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome using cell-free fetal DNA in amniotic fluid by quantitative fluorescent polymersase chain reaction

Backgroud Amniotic fluid （AF） supernatant contains cell-free fetal DNA （cffDNA） fragments.This study attempted to take advantage of cffDNA as a new material for prenatal diagnosis,which could be combined with simple quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction （QF-PCR） to provide an ancillary method for the prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21 syndrome.Methods AF supernatant samples were obtained from 27 women carrying euploid fetuses and 28 women carrying aneuploid fetuses with known cytogenetic karyotypes.Peripheral blood samples of the parents were collected at the same time.Short tandem repeat （STR） fragments on chromosome 21 were amplified by QF-PCR.Fetal condition and the parental source of the extra chromosome could be determined by the STR peaks.Results The sensitivity of the assay for the aneuploid was 93％ （26/28; confidence interval,CI：77％-98％） and the specificity was 100％ （26/26; CI：88％-100％）.The determination rate of the origin of the extra chromosome was 69％.The sensitivity and the specificity of the assay in the euploid were 100％ （27/27）.Conclusions Trisomy 21 can be prenatally diagnosed by the QF-PCR method in AF supernatant.This karyotype analysis method greatly reduces the requirement for the specimen size.It will be a benefit for early amniocentesis and could avoid pregnancy complications.The method may become an ancillary method for prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21.

Cell-free DNA in the management of prostate cancer:Current status and future prospective

Objective:With the escalating prevalence of prostate cancer(PCa)in China,there is an urgent demand for novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.Extensive investigations have been conducted on the clinical implementation of circulating free DNA(cfDNA)in PCa.This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the present state of cfDNA as a biomarker for PCa and to examine its merits and obstacles for future clinical utilization.Methods:Relevant peer-reviewed manuscripts on cfDNA as a PCa marker were evaluated by PubMed search(2010-2022)to evaluate the roles of cfDNA in PCa diagnosis,prognosis,and prediction,respectively.Results:cfDNA is primarily released from cells undergoing necrosis and apoptosis,allowing for non-invasive insight into the genomic,transcriptomic,and epigenomic alterations within various PCa disease states.Next-generation sequencing,among other detection methods,enables the assessment of cfDNA abundance,mutation status,fragment characteristics,and epigenetic modifications.Multidimensional analysis based on cfDNA can facilitate early detection of PCa,risk stratification,and treatment monitoring.However,standardization of cfDNA detection methods is still required to expedite its clinical application.Conclusion:cfDNA provides a non-invasive,rapid,and repeatable means of acquiring multidimensional information from PCa patients,which can aid in guiding clinical decisions and enhancing patient management.Overcoming the application barriers of cfDNA necessitates increased data sharing and international collaboration.

Revolutionizing Non-Invasive Biomarker Discoveries: The Power of Methylation Screening Analysis in Cell-Free DNA Liquid Biopsy

Epigenetic changes of DNA, including methylation, have long been recognized as key indicators of various diseases, including aging, cancer, and neurological disorders. Biomarker discoveries based on distinct methylation patterns for both hypermethylation and hypomethylation lead the way in discovery of novel diagnosis and treatment targets. Many different approaches are present to detect the level of methylation in whole genome (whole genome bisulfite sequencing, microarray) as well as at specific loci (methylation specific PCR). Cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) found in body fluids like blood provides information about DNA methylation and serves as a less invasive approach for genetic screening. Cell-free DNA and methylation screening technologies, when combined, have the potential to transform the way we approach genetic screening and personalized therapy. These technologies can help enhance disease diagnostic accuracy and inform the development of targeted therapeutics by providing a non-invasive way for acquiring genomic information and identifying disease-associated methylation patterns. We highlight the clinical benefits of using cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) liquid biopsy analysis and available methylation screening technologies that have been crucial in identifying biomarkers for disease from patients using a non-invasive way. Powering such biomarker discoveries are various methods of cf-DNA methylation analysis such as Bisulfite Sequencing and most recently, Methylation-Specific Restriction Enzyme (MSRE-seq) Analysis, paving the way for novel epigenetic biomarker discoveries for more robust diagnosis such as early disease detection, prognosis, monitoring of disease progression and treatment response as well as discovery of novel drug targets.

Clinical Performance of Cell-Free Fetal DNA Testing for Fetal Aneuploidies and Subchromosomal Deletions/Duplications in a Cohort of 19,531 Pregnancies

Objective:We aim to assess the clinical performance of cell-free fetal DNA(cffDNA)testing for detecting common fetal aneuploidies as well as subchromosomal deletions/duplications and explore the pregnancy decisions in screen-positive cases.Methods:A cohort of 19,531 pregnant women was offered cffDNA testing for detection of trisomies 21,18,and 13(T21,T18,and T13);sex chromosome aneuploidies(SCAs);and subchromosomal deletions/duplications.Screen-positive cases were confirmed by karyotyping and single-nucleotide polymorphism array analysis.Results:A total of 47 cases failed the test.The overall screen-positive rate of chromosomal abnormalities was 1.07%(208/19,484),including 57 cases with T21,18 cases with T18,7 cases with T13,106 cases with SCAs,and 20 cases of subchromosomal deletions/duplications.Positive predictive values were 91.30%(42/46),38.46%(5/13),33.33%(2/6),41.33%(31/75),and 27.78%(5/18),respectively.There was no significant difference in the screening of fetal chromosomal aneuploidies in the high-risk group compared with the low-risk group(P>0.05).All of the pregnant women who had confirmed fetal T21,T18,or T13 terminated their pregnancies,except for a case of T13 mosaic,whereas 45.16%(14/31)of women with fetal SCAs continued their pregnancies.Furthermore,17 pregnant women with positive screens for T21,T18,or T13 without a subsequent diagnosis chose to terminate their pregnancy,whereas 29 of 31 women with SCAs chose to continue their pregnancies.Conclusions:CffDNA testing exhibited good screening accuracy for T21,T18,and T13 and also contributed to detecting fetal SCAs and subchromosomal deletions/duplications.Pregnant women with fetal 47,XXX or 47,XYY were more willing to terminate their pregnancy than those with fetal 45,X or 47,XXY.

DNA无创产前检测及彩色多普勒超声检查在高危孕妇胎儿 染色体异常筛查中的应用价值

目的探讨DNA无创产前检测(NIPT)及彩色多普勒超声(简称彩超)检查在高危孕妇胎儿染色体异常筛查中的应用价值。方法选取2020年1月至2022年12月于该院接受产前检查的5862例高危孕妇作为研究对象,均接受NIPT、彩超检查,以羊水穿刺结果或分娩结局作为诊断胎儿染色体异常的金标准,比较NIPT、彩超检查及二者联合检查对高危孕妇胎儿染色体异常的诊断效能。结果5862例高危孕妇中共检出167例胎儿染色体异常,检出率为2.85%。167例胎儿染色体异常中胎儿染色体数目异常161例,构成比为96.41%;胎儿染色体结构异常6例,构成比为3.59%。彩超检查共诊断出119例孕妇胎儿染色体异常,经一致性分析,彩超检查诊断胎儿染色体异常的灵敏度为0.713,特异度为0.884,准确率为87.96%,Kappa=0.215,P<0.05。NIPT共诊断出133例孕妇胎儿染色体异常,经一致性分析,NIPT诊断胎儿染色体异常的灵敏度为0.796,特异度为0.945,准确率为94.05%,Kappa=0.408,P<0.05。彩超检查联合NIPT共诊断出158例孕妇胎儿染色体异常,经一致性分析,二者联合检查诊断胎儿染色体异常的灵敏度为0.946,特异度为0.986,准确率为98.50%,Kappa=0.775,P<0.05。结论NIPT与彩超检查用于筛查高危孕妇胎儿染色体异常均具有一定价值,二者联合检查可获得更高的灵敏度、特异度和准确率,能有效降低漏诊及误诊风险。

CMA、CNV-seq诊断引产胎儿DNA异常及病因效果

目的:探讨染色体微阵列芯片技术(CMA)、低深度全基因组测序技术(CNV-seq)对引产胎儿DNA异常的诊断价值及病因检出情况。方法:将2021年1月-2023年12月于本院进行引产的150例孕妇作为研究对象,以产前无创基因筛查(NIPT)技术检测结果作为引产胎儿DNA结果的金标准,对引产胎儿行CMA、CNV-seq检测。比较CMA、CNV-seq检测结果与金标准的符合情况;受试者特征曲线(ROC)分析CMA、CNV-seq检测对引产胎儿DNA异常的诊断价值;对比CMA、CNV-seq检测对引产胎儿DNA异常病因检测结果。结果:引产胎儿DNA异常的阳性检出率CNV-seq检测(85.9%)高于CMA检测(73.7%);CNV-seq检测诊断引产胎儿DNA异常的曲线下面积(0.870)高于CMA检测(0.761),CNV-seq检测对引产胎儿DNA异常病因的检出情况(85.9%)高于CMA检测(73.7%)(均P<0.05)。结论:CMA、CNV-seq对引产胎儿DNA异常及其病因均有较高检出率,且CNV-seq检测诊断效能更高,可为产前诊断胎儿DNA异常提供参考。

Circulating tumor DNA in liquid biopsy: Current diagnostic limitation

With the rapid development of science and technology,cell-free DNA(cfDNA)is rapidly becoming an important biomarker for tumor diagnosis,monitoring and prognosis,and this cfDNA-based liquid biopsy technology has great potential to become an important part of precision medicine.cfDNA is the total amount of free DNA in the systemic circulation,including DNA fragments derived from tumor cells and all other somatic cells.Tumor cells release fragments of DNA into the bloodstream,and this source of cfDNA is called circulating tumor DNA(ctDNA).cfDNA detection has become a major focus in the field of tumor research in recent years,which provides a new opportunity for non-invasive diagnosis and prognosis of cancer.In this paper,we discuss the limitations of the study on the origin and dynamics analysis of ctDNA,and how to solve these problems in the future.Although the future faces major challenges,it also con-tains great potential.

Quick recovery and characterization of cell-free DNA in seminal plasma of normozoospermia and azoospermia： implications for non-invasive genetic utilities

We established a quick and reliable method for recovering cell-free seminal DNA （cfsDNA）, by using the binding-washing-elution procedure on the DNA purification column. Low variations （below 15%） among the triplicate values of cfsDNA quantity verified the reproducibility of our cfsDNA recovery method. Similar cfsDNA yield and size distribution between seminal plasma acquired by filtration and centrifugation confirmed the presence of cfsDNA. To investigate the general characterization of cfsDNA, the quantitation and size distribution of cfsDNA from normozoospermic and azoospermic semen were analyzed by real-time PCR and electrophoresis, respectively. CfsDNA concentration in semen with normozoospermia （n = 11） was 1.34 ± 0.65 μg ·mL^-1, whereas a higher cfsDNA concentration was observed in azoospermia （2.56 ± 1.43 μg ·mL^-1, n = 9）. The continuous distribution of DNA fragments ranging from -1 kb to 15 kb and a spectrum of multiples of 180-bp fragments were observed in each normozoospermic and azoospermic sample. Distinct characteristic DNA ladder fragmentations in some azoospermic samples implicated that cfsDNA originate partly from apoptotic cells. CfsDNAs of 36 selected azoospermic patients with known information of Y chromosome microdeletion were subjected to the same microdeletion analysis by multiplex PCR and PCR amplification of sY114 （1 450 bp）. All multiplex PCR reactions with cfsDNA amplified successfully and provided the same result as leukocyte DNA. PCR amplification of sY114 gave a 1 450-bp amplicon as expected. Our data suggested the potential use of cfsDNA in search of biomarker or diagnostic procedures.

Value of dynamic plasma cell-free DNA monitoring in septic shock syndrome: A case report

BACKGROUND Mortality due to septic shock is relatively high.The dynamic monitoring of plasma cell-free DNA(cfDNA)can guide the treatment of septic shock.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we present a typical case of septic shock syndrome caused by the bacilli Acinetobacter baumannii and Pantoea.The patient complained of abdominal pain,fever and chills upon admission to the Emergency Department.Marked decreases in white blood cells and procalcitonin(PCT)were observed after the patient received continuous renal replacement and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.Plasma cfDNA levels were consistently high,peaking at 1366.40 ng/mL,as measured by a duplex real-time PCR assay with an internal control,which was developed as a novel method for the accurate quantification of cfDNA.The patient died of septic shock on HD 8,suggesting that cfDNA could be used to monitor disease progression more effectively than PCT and the other inflammatory factors measured in this case.CONCLUSION CfDNA may be a promising marker that complements other inflammatory factors to monitor disease progression in patients with septic shock.

Donor-specific cell-free DNA as a biomarker in liver transplantation:A review

Due to advances in modern medicine,liver transplantation has revolutionised the prognosis of many previously incurable liver diseases.This progress has largely been due to advances in immunosuppressant therapy.However,despite the judicious use of immunosuppression,many liver transplant recipients still experience complications such as rejection,which necessitates diagnosis via invasive liver biopsy.There is a clear need for novel,minimally-invasive tests to optimise immunosuppression and improve patient outcomes.An emerging biomarker in this‘‘precision medicine’‘liver transplantation field is that of donorspecific cell free DNA.In this review,we detail the background and methods of detecting this biomarker,examine its utility in liver transplantation and discuss future research directions that may be most impactful.

母体循环中胎儿游离DNA在单基因病产前诊断的研究进展

单基因病是引起胎儿出生缺陷的主要原因之一,其种类多,病情复杂,缺乏有效治疗方法,且预后差。目前,无创产前检测(NIPT)已成为筛查胎儿非整倍体的主要手段,在临床上广泛应用。基于母体循环中胎儿游离DNA(cffDNA)的发现及高通量测序技术的发展,单基因病的NIPT成为研究热点,且检测技术及其检测的疾病种类也在不断增加,但是单基因病的检测存在难度大、成本高等问题。目前胎儿单基因病的NIPT仍然处于研究阶段,尚未在临床应用。因此,深入研究母体循环中cffDNA的NIPT对单基因病产前诊断具有重要意义。

血浆游离胎儿DNA浓度联合血清妊娠相关血浆蛋白-A、β-人绒毛膜促性腺激素检测对孕妇不良妊娠结局的预测价值

目的探讨血浆游离胎儿DNA(cff-DNA)浓度联合血清妊娠相关血浆蛋白-A(PAPP-A)和β-人绒毛膜促性腺激素(β-hCG)检测对孕妇不良妊娠结局的预测价值。方法选取2022年8月至2023年2月佛山复星禅诚医院收治的进行产检、唐氏筛查和无创产前DNA检查(NIPT)的195例孕妇作为研究对象。将发生不良妊娠结局的孕妇设为研究组(n=36),无不良妊娠结局的孕妇设为对照组(n=159)。检测两组血浆cff-DNA浓度、血清PAPP-A和β-hCG水平;采用Spearman分析血浆cff-DNA浓度、血清PAPP-A和β-hCG水平与不良妊娠结局的相关性;采用受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线分析血浆cff-DNA浓度、血清PAPP-A和β-hCG水平对不良妊娠结局的预测价值。结果与对照组比较,研究组血浆cff-DNA浓度和血清PAPP-A水平显著更低,血清β-hCG水平显著更高,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);Spearman分析结果显示,血浆cff-DNA浓度、血清PAPP-A和β-hCG水平与妊娠期高血压、子痫前期、早产、死胎、新生儿窒息和胎儿生长受限不良妊娠结局具有显著相关性(P<0.05);ROC曲线结果显示,血浆cff-DNA浓度单独预测孕妇不良妊娠结局的曲线下面积为0.807,截断值为11.82%;血清PAPP-A单独预测孕妇不良妊娠结局的曲线下面积为0.804,截断值为0.41;血清β-hCG单独预测孕妇不良妊娠结局的曲线下面积为0.815,截断值为2.56;预测效能比较结果显示,血浆cff-DNA浓度、血清PAPP-A和β-hCG水平联合预测孕妇不良妊娠结局的特异度(97.48%)和准确度(96.41%)均显著高于三者单独预测(P<0.05),误诊率(2.52%)显著低于三者单独预测(P<0.05)。结论血浆cff-DNA浓度联合血清PAPP-A、β-hCG检测对孕妇不良妊娠结局具有较高的预测价值。

Cell-free mitochondrial DNA quantification in ischemic stroke patients for non-invasive and real-time monitoring of disease status

BACKGROUND Acute ischemic stroke(AIS)is one of the major causes of the continuous increasing rate of global mortality due to the lack of timely diagnosis,prognosis,and management.This study provides a primitive platform for non-invasive and cost-effective diagnosis and prognosis of patients with AIS using circulating cellfree mitochondrial DNA(cf-mtDNA)quantification and validation.AIM To evaluate the role of cf-mtDNA as s non-invasive,and affordable tool for realtime monitoring and prognosticating AIS patients at disease onset and during treatment.METHODS This study enrolled 88 participants including 44 patients with AIS and 44 healthy controls with almost similar mean age group at stroke onset,and at 24 h and 72 h of treatment.Peripheral blood samples were collected from each study participant and plasma was separated using centrifugation.The cf-mtDNA concentration was quantified using nanodrop reading and validated through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)of NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase chain 1(ND1)relative transcript expression levels.RESULTS Comparative analysis of cf-mtDNA concentration in patients at disease onset showed significantly increased levels compared to control individuals for both nanodrop reading,as well as ND1 relative expression levels(P<0.0001).Intergroup analysis of cf-mtDNA concentration using nanodrop showed significantly reduced levels in patients at 72 h of treatment compared to onset(P<0.01).However,RT-qPCR analysis showed a significant reduction at 24 h and 72 h of treatment compared to the disease onset(P<0.001).The sensitivity and specificity were relatively higher for RT-qPCR than nanodrop-based cfmtDNA quantification.Correlation analysis of both cf-mtDNA concentration as well as ND1 relative expression with National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score at baseline showed a positive trend.CONCLUSION In summary,quantitative estimation of highly pure cf-mtDNA provides a simple,highly sensitive and specific,non-invasive,and affordable approach for real-time monitoring and prognosticating AIS patients at onset and during treatment.

Multiple z-Score Based Method for Noninvasive Prenatal Test Using Cell-Free DNA in Maternal Plasma

Objective: To improve the detecting accuracy of chromosomal aneuploidy of fetus by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using next generation sequencing data of pregnant women’s cell-free DNA. Methods: We proposed the multi-Z method which uses 21 z-scores for each autosomal chromosome to detect aneuploidy of the chromosome, while the conventional NIPT method uses only one z-score. To do this, mapped read numbers of a certain chromosome were normalized by those of the other 21 chromosomes. Average and standard deviation (SD), which are used for calculating z-score of each sample, were obtained with normalized values between all autosomal chromosomes of control samples. In this way, multiple z-scores can be calculated for 21 autosomal chromosomes except oneself. Results: Multi-Z method showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for 187 samples sequenced to 3 M reads while the conventional NIPT method showed 95.1% specificity. Similarly, for 216 samples sequenced to 1 M reads, Multi-Z method showed 100% sensitivity and 95.6% specificity and the conventional NIPT method showed a result of 75.1% specificity. Conclusion: Multi-Z method showed higher accuracy and robust results than the conventional method even at low coverage reads.

Detection of EGFR-SEPT14 fusion in cell-free DNA of a patient with advanced gastric cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer is the fifth most diagnosed cancer worldwide and the third most common cause of cancer-related death.In recent decades,increasing application of next-generation sequencing has enabled detection of molecular aberrations,including fusions.In cases where tissue is difficult to obtain,cell-free DNA(cfDNA)is used for detecting mutations to identify the molecular profile of cancer.Here,we report a rare case of EGFR-SEPT14 fusion detected from cfDNA analysis in a patient with gastric cancer.CASE SUMMARY A 49-year-old female diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer in July 2019 received capecitabine and then combination chemotherapy of ramucirumab and paclitaxel,but ascites was detected.The therapy was switched to nivolumab,but disease progression was observed on a positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan in May 2020.Therapy was discontinued,and cfDNA nextgeneration sequencing was immediately evaluated.All genomic variants,including fusions,were analyzed from cfDNA.The following somatic alterations were detected from the patient’s cfDNA:an APC frameshift mutation(NM_000038.5:c.6579del,p.V2194fs)with variant allele frequency of 0.5%,an EGFR amplification with a copy number of 17.3,and an EGFR-SEPT14 fusion with variant allele frequency of 45.3%.The site of the fusion was exon 24 of EGFR fused to exon 10 of SEPT14.The fusion was in-frame and considered to be protooncogenic. Although the patient refused to continue therapy, we suggest thatEGFR-targeted therapies be tried in such future cases.CONCLUSIONThe expanded applications of the cfDNA assay may open a new horizon intreatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer.

The Prognostic Value of Cell-Free DNA in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background: Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) holds promise as a tumor marker of clinical importance. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of baseline cfDNA in non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Material and Methods: During a three-year period, patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated advanced NSCLC were included in a consecutive, prospective marker-trial. Plasma was isolated from a pre-treatment peripheral blood sample and the level of total cfDNA was measured by an in-house assay qPCR-method. The treatment comprised carboplatin (AUC 5) intravenously day 1), and vinorelbine (30 mg/m2 intravenously day 1 and 60 mg/m2 perorally day 8) q3w for a maximum of six cycles. The primary end-point was overall survival (OS). Secondary end-points were progression free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR). Results: 245 patients were included and received a minimum of 1 cycle of chemotherapy (median 4). The median OS was 8.9 months, the median PFS by intention to treat 5.4 months and the ORR was 25%. The patients were divided into four groups based on quartiles of cfDNA and subsequently dichotomized by the 75th percentile revealing a significantly worse prognosis for patients in the upper 75th percentile (median OS 4.9 months) compared to patients with lower levels (10.0 months) (HR 2.1, 95%CI 1.4 - 3.1, p 0.0001). A multivariate analysis confirmed the independent prognostic value of cfDNA. A subgroup analysis of patients with high cfDNA and poor performance status (PS = 2) identified a group of patients with even worse prognosis (median OS 2.0 versus 9.1 months, HR 3.6, 95%CI 1.4 - 9.2, p 0.0001). Similar and significant results were found when comparing level of cfDNA and PFS. Conclusions: High pre-treatment level of cfDNA seems to have a strong prognostic impact in patients with newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC. Combined with PS it identifies a patient group with minimal or no benefit of chemotherapy.

Cell-free DNA liquid biopsy for early detection of gastrointestinal cancers:A systematic review

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal tumors are among the most common cancer types,and early detection is paramount to improve their management.Cell-free DNA(cfDNA)liquid biopsy raises significant hopes for non-invasive early detection.AIM To describe current applications of this technology for gastrointestinal cancer detection and screening.METHODS A systematic review of the literature was performed across the PubMed database.Articles reporting the use of cfDNA liquid biopsy in the screening or diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancers were included in the analysis.RESULTS A total of 263 articles were screened for eligibility,of which 13 articles were included.Studies investigated colorectal cancer(5 studies),pancreatic cancer(2 studies),hepatocellular carcinoma(3 studies),and multi-cancer detection(3 studies),including gastric,oesophageal,or bile duct cancer,representing a total of 4824 patients.Test sensitivities ranged from 71% to 100%,and specificities ranged from 67.4% to 100%.Pre-cancerous lesions detection was less performant with a sensitivity of 16.9% and a 100% specificity in one study.Another study using a large biobank demonstrated a 94.9% sensitivity in detecting cancer up to 4 years before clinical symptoms,with a 61% accuracy in tissue-of-origin identification.CONCLUSION cfDNA liquid biopsy seems capable of detecting gastrointestinal cancers at an early stage of development in a non-invasive and repeatable manner and screening simultaneously for multiple cancer types in a single blood sample.Further trials in clinically relevant settings are required to determine the exact place of this technology in gastrointestinal cancer screening and diagnosis strategies.

Isolation of Cell-Free DNA from Seminal Fluid

Cell-flee DNA （cfDNA） is small short double stranded molecule that is also found in seminal fluid. It is a product ofapoptotic cells in different developmental stages during spermatogenesis. To final concentration of total cfDNA in semen contributesalso cfDNA secreted from living cells and cfDNA that is result of different diseases e.g. prostate cancer or infertility. Amendedconcentration （high or low） can be connected to prostate cancer or male infertility and can represent important non-invasive diagnosticbiomarker for detection and prognosis of these pathological conditions. In this paper, I will discuss different approaches for isolation ofcfDNA from seminal fluid, which includes selection of the samples, separation, isolation, extraction, purification and analysis. Today＇smost popular approach for isolation is the use of commercial kits based on selective binding and elution on silica-membrane technology,magnetic-bead technology or extraction with organic solvents and salting out procedure. Furthermore I will present that I tried to isolatecfDNA from semen with QIAamp DNA Mini Kit to confirm the presence of cell-free DNA in our samples. In the end I will describeproblems we are facing during cfDNA measurement which are mainly associated with low concentration of cfDNA in samples.