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DNA methylation profiling improves routine diagnosis of paediatric central nervous system tumours : A prospective population-based study

Schepke, Elizabeth ; Löfgren, Maja ; Pietsch, Torsten ; Olsson Bontell, Thomas ; Kling, Teresia ; Wenger, Anna ; Ferreyra Vega, Sandra ; Danielsson, Anna ; Dosa, Sandor and Holm, Stefan , et al. (2022) In Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 48(6).
Abstract

Aims: Paediatric brain tumours are rare, and establishing a precise diagnosis can be challenging. Analysis of DNA methylation profiles has been shown to be a reliable method to classify central nervous system (CNS) tumours with high accuracy. We aimed to prospectively analyse CNS tumours diagnosed in Sweden, to assess the clinical impact of adding DNA methylation-based classification to standard paediatric brain tumour diagnostics in an unselected cohort. Methods: All CNS tumours diagnosed in children (0–18 years) during 2017–2020 were eligible for inclusion provided sufficient tumour material was available. Tumours were analysed using genome-wide DNA methylation profiling and classified by the MNP brain tumour classifier. The initial... (More)

Aims: Paediatric brain tumours are rare, and establishing a precise diagnosis can be challenging. Analysis of DNA methylation profiles has been shown to be a reliable method to classify central nervous system (CNS) tumours with high accuracy. We aimed to prospectively analyse CNS tumours diagnosed in Sweden, to assess the clinical impact of adding DNA methylation-based classification to standard paediatric brain tumour diagnostics in an unselected cohort. Methods: All CNS tumours diagnosed in children (0–18 years) during 2017–2020 were eligible for inclusion provided sufficient tumour material was available. Tumours were analysed using genome-wide DNA methylation profiling and classified by the MNP brain tumour classifier. The initial histopathological diagnosis was compared with the DNA methylation-based classification. For incongruent results, a blinded re-evaluation was performed by an experienced neuropathologist. Results: Two hundred forty tumours with a histopathology-based diagnosis were profiled. A high-confidence methylation score of 0.84 or more was reached in 78% of the cases. In 69%, the histopathological diagnosis was confirmed, and for some of these also refined, 6% were incongruent, and the re-evaluation favoured the methylation-based classification. In the remaining 3% of cases, the methylation class was non-contributory. The change in diagnosis would have had a direct impact on the clinical management in 5% of all patients. Conclusions: Integrating DNA methylation-based tumour classification into routine clinical analysis improves diagnostics and provides molecular information that is important for treatment decisions. The results from methylation profiling should be interpreted in the context of clinical and histopathological information.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
diagnostics, DNA methylation profiling, molecular classification, paediatric brain tumours
in
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology
volume
48
issue
6
article number
e12838
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:35892159
  • scopus:85135264447
ISSN
0305-1846
DOI
10.1111/nan.12838
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
6e115532-0968-461f-ae5b-70ac0f5fe9e4
date added to LUP
2022-11-29 13:33:17
date last changed
2024-04-14 17:54:21
@article{6e115532-0968-461f-ae5b-70ac0f5fe9e4,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aims: Paediatric brain tumours are rare, and establishing a precise diagnosis can be challenging. Analysis of DNA methylation profiles has been shown to be a reliable method to classify central nervous system (CNS) tumours with high accuracy. We aimed to prospectively analyse CNS tumours diagnosed in Sweden, to assess the clinical impact of adding DNA methylation-based classification to standard paediatric brain tumour diagnostics in an unselected cohort. Methods: All CNS tumours diagnosed in children (0–18 years) during 2017–2020 were eligible for inclusion provided sufficient tumour material was available. Tumours were analysed using genome-wide DNA methylation profiling and classified by the MNP brain tumour classifier. The initial histopathological diagnosis was compared with the DNA methylation-based classification. For incongruent results, a blinded re-evaluation was performed by an experienced neuropathologist. Results: Two hundred forty tumours with a histopathology-based diagnosis were profiled. A high-confidence methylation score of 0.84 or more was reached in 78% of the cases. In 69%, the histopathological diagnosis was confirmed, and for some of these also refined, 6% were incongruent, and the re-evaluation favoured the methylation-based classification. In the remaining 3% of cases, the methylation class was non-contributory. The change in diagnosis would have had a direct impact on the clinical management in 5% of all patients. Conclusions: Integrating DNA methylation-based tumour classification into routine clinical analysis improves diagnostics and provides molecular information that is important for treatment decisions. The results from methylation profiling should be interpreted in the context of clinical and histopathological information.</p>}},
  author       = {{Schepke, Elizabeth and Löfgren, Maja and Pietsch, Torsten and Olsson Bontell, Thomas and Kling, Teresia and Wenger, Anna and Ferreyra Vega, Sandra and Danielsson, Anna and Dosa, Sandor and Holm, Stefan and Öberg, Anders and Nyman, Per and Eliasson-Hofvander, Marie and Sandström, Per Erik and Pfister, Stefan M. and Lannering, Birgitta and Sabel, Magnus and Carén, Helena}},
  issn         = {{0305-1846}},
  keywords     = {{diagnostics; DNA methylation profiling; molecular classification; paediatric brain tumours}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology}},
  title        = {{DNA methylation profiling improves routine diagnosis of paediatric central nervous system tumours : A prospective population-based study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nan.12838}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/nan.12838}},
  volume       = {{48}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}