Salivary cell-free DNA methylation analysis for oncological monitoring of surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma

ObjectiveNon-invasive analysis of tumor DNA in biological fluids offers promising perspectives for the oncological monitoring of cancer patients. Cancer-specific DNA methylation marks are detectable in the saliva of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) patients. We set up a salivary liquid biopsy app...

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Main Authors: Zuzana Saidak, Marie Milly, Christophe Louandre, Emilien Colin, Pia-Manuela Rusu, Agnes Paasche, Stephanie Dakpe, Sylvie Testelin, Antoine Galmiche
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Oral Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/froh.2025.1614371/full
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author Zuzana Saidak
Zuzana Saidak
Zuzana Saidak
Marie Milly
Christophe Louandre
Christophe Louandre
Emilien Colin
Emilien Colin
Emilien Colin
Pia-Manuela Rusu
Agnes Paasche
Agnes Paasche
Agnes Paasche
Stephanie Dakpe
Stephanie Dakpe
Stephanie Dakpe
Sylvie Testelin
Sylvie Testelin
Sylvie Testelin
Antoine Galmiche
Antoine Galmiche
Antoine Galmiche
author_facet Zuzana Saidak
Zuzana Saidak
Zuzana Saidak
Marie Milly
Christophe Louandre
Christophe Louandre
Emilien Colin
Emilien Colin
Emilien Colin
Pia-Manuela Rusu
Agnes Paasche
Agnes Paasche
Agnes Paasche
Stephanie Dakpe
Stephanie Dakpe
Stephanie Dakpe
Sylvie Testelin
Sylvie Testelin
Sylvie Testelin
Antoine Galmiche
Antoine Galmiche
Antoine Galmiche
author_sort Zuzana Saidak
collection DOAJ
description ObjectiveNon-invasive analysis of tumor DNA in biological fluids offers promising perspectives for the oncological monitoring of cancer patients. Cancer-specific DNA methylation marks are detectable in the saliva of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) patients. We set up a salivary liquid biopsy approach for the oncological monitoring of OSCC referred for surgical resection.Material and methodsWe analysed DNA methylation in TCGA-OSCC to identify genes with high methylation levels in tumor vs. matched non-tumor tissue. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation levels of selected genes were analysed in the saliva of OSCC patients (n = 30) before/after complete surgical resection by High Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis, and compared to non-cancer controls.ResultsWe identified five genes with higher DNA methylation levels in OSCC compared to matching non-tumor tissue that were analysable by HRM, and were independent of tumor stage, etiology or age. In 70% of OSCC, at least one of the five cfDNA methylation marks was detectable before surgery. Complete surgical resection led to a significant disappearance of salivary cfDNA methylation marks. In 52% of patients, we noted the persistence of at least one mark, shown to be related to close/positive surgical margin status. In one patient resected with R0 margin, the persistence of ASCL1 methylation preceded tumor recurrence by 4 months.ConclusionSalivary cfDNA methylation analysis offers a minimally invasive method to monitor the effectiveness of surgical resection of OSCC. Future studies with a larger cohort and longer follow-up are required to validate its use in this context.
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spelling doaj-art-88243bdccd764a30ac1b5f1a92d4f3132025-08-20T03:10:04ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oral Health2673-48422025-06-01610.3389/froh.2025.16143711614371Salivary cell-free DNA methylation analysis for oncological monitoring of surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinomaZuzana Saidak0Zuzana Saidak1Zuzana Saidak2Marie Milly3Christophe Louandre4Christophe Louandre5Emilien Colin6Emilien Colin7Emilien Colin8Pia-Manuela Rusu9Agnes Paasche10Agnes Paasche11Agnes Paasche12Stephanie Dakpe13Stephanie Dakpe14Stephanie Dakpe15Sylvie Testelin16Sylvie Testelin17Sylvie Testelin18Antoine Galmiche19Antoine Galmiche20Antoine Galmiche21UR7516, CHIMERE, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, FranceService de Biochimie, Centre de Biologie Humaine, CHU Amiens, Amiens, FranceInstitut Faire Faces, Amiens, FranceService de Biochimie, Centre de Biologie Humaine, CHU Amiens, Amiens, FranceUR7516, CHIMERE, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, FranceService de Biochimie, Centre de Biologie Humaine, CHU Amiens, Amiens, FranceUR7516, CHIMERE, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, FranceInstitut Faire Faces, Amiens, FranceService de Chirurgie Maxillo-faciale, CHU Amiens, Amiens, FranceService de Biochimie, Centre de Biologie Humaine, CHU Amiens, Amiens, FranceUR7516, CHIMERE, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, FranceInstitut Faire Faces, Amiens, FranceService de Chirurgie Maxillo-faciale, CHU Amiens, Amiens, FranceUR7516, CHIMERE, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, FranceInstitut Faire Faces, Amiens, FranceService de Chirurgie Maxillo-faciale, CHU Amiens, Amiens, FranceUR7516, CHIMERE, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, FranceInstitut Faire Faces, Amiens, FranceService de Chirurgie Maxillo-faciale, CHU Amiens, Amiens, FranceUR7516, CHIMERE, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, FranceService de Biochimie, Centre de Biologie Humaine, CHU Amiens, Amiens, FranceInstitut Faire Faces, Amiens, FranceObjectiveNon-invasive analysis of tumor DNA in biological fluids offers promising perspectives for the oncological monitoring of cancer patients. Cancer-specific DNA methylation marks are detectable in the saliva of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) patients. We set up a salivary liquid biopsy approach for the oncological monitoring of OSCC referred for surgical resection.Material and methodsWe analysed DNA methylation in TCGA-OSCC to identify genes with high methylation levels in tumor vs. matched non-tumor tissue. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation levels of selected genes were analysed in the saliva of OSCC patients (n = 30) before/after complete surgical resection by High Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis, and compared to non-cancer controls.ResultsWe identified five genes with higher DNA methylation levels in OSCC compared to matching non-tumor tissue that were analysable by HRM, and were independent of tumor stage, etiology or age. In 70% of OSCC, at least one of the five cfDNA methylation marks was detectable before surgery. Complete surgical resection led to a significant disappearance of salivary cfDNA methylation marks. In 52% of patients, we noted the persistence of at least one mark, shown to be related to close/positive surgical margin status. In one patient resected with R0 margin, the persistence of ASCL1 methylation preceded tumor recurrence by 4 months.ConclusionSalivary cfDNA methylation analysis offers a minimally invasive method to monitor the effectiveness of surgical resection of OSCC. Future studies with a larger cohort and longer follow-up are required to validate its use in this context.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/froh.2025.1614371/fulloral squamous cell carcinomasurgical resectionsalivacell-free DNA methylationbiomarkers
spellingShingle Zuzana Saidak
Zuzana Saidak
Zuzana Saidak
Marie Milly
Christophe Louandre
Christophe Louandre
Emilien Colin
Emilien Colin
Emilien Colin
Pia-Manuela Rusu
Agnes Paasche
Agnes Paasche
Agnes Paasche
Stephanie Dakpe
Stephanie Dakpe
Stephanie Dakpe
Sylvie Testelin
Sylvie Testelin
Sylvie Testelin
Antoine Galmiche
Antoine Galmiche
Antoine Galmiche
Salivary cell-free DNA methylation analysis for oncological monitoring of surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma
Frontiers in Oral Health
oral squamous cell carcinoma
surgical resection
saliva
cell-free DNA methylation
biomarkers
title Salivary cell-free DNA methylation analysis for oncological monitoring of surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma
title_full Salivary cell-free DNA methylation analysis for oncological monitoring of surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma
title_fullStr Salivary cell-free DNA methylation analysis for oncological monitoring of surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Salivary cell-free DNA methylation analysis for oncological monitoring of surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma
title_short Salivary cell-free DNA methylation analysis for oncological monitoring of surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma
title_sort salivary cell free dna methylation analysis for oncological monitoring of surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma
topic oral squamous cell carcinoma
surgical resection
saliva
cell-free DNA methylation
biomarkers
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/froh.2025.1614371/full
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