Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Cell-free DNA in the plasma of patients with systemic sclerosis

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Clinical Rheumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the concentration of cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) in the plasma of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to examine the correlation of cf-DNA with clinical variables of the disease. The study population consisted of 122 SSc patients and 16 healthy controls. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected by direct assessment. The β-globin gene was used to determine the total amount of DNA in the plasma by real-time quantitative PCR analysis. cf-DNA was found in all patients (mean concentration 1,420.7 copies/ml) and controls (mean concentration 1,462.5), with no significant difference. In SSc patients, no correlation was found between cf-DNA and the type of organ involvement, but patients with active disease presented significantly higher cf-DNA concentrations than those with inactive disease (p < 0.05). Our data suggest that cf-DNA could provide a useful biomarker for the assessment of disease activity in SSc patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Tong YW, Lo YMD (2006) Diagnostic developments involving cell-free (circulating) nucleic acids. Clin Chim Acta 363:187–196

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Swarup V, Rajeswari SW (2007) Circulating (cell-free) nucleic acids—a promising, non-invasive tool for early detection of several human diseases. FEBS Lett 581:795–799

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Gormally E, Caboux E, Vineis P, Hainaut P (2007) Circulating free DNA in plasma or serum as a biomarker of carcinogenesis: practical aspects and biological significance. Mutat Res 635:105–117

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Zanetti-Dällenbach RA, Schmid S, Wight HW, Ladewing A, Hahn S et al (2007) Levels of circulating cell-free serum DNA in benign and malignant breast lesions. Int J Biol Markers 22:95–99

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhong XY, Ladewig A, Schmid S, Wight E, Hahn S, Holzgreve W (2007) Elevated level of cell-free plasma DNA is associated with breast cancer. Arch Gynecol Obstet 276:327–331

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Barada FA Jr, Suratt PM, Davis JS 4th, Sipes JN, Castle CA, Taylor RP et al (1980) Free plasma DNA in patients with pulmonary embolism. South Med J 73:345–346

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Zhong XY, Burk MR, Troeger C, Kang A, Holzgreve W, Hahn S (2000) Fluctuation of maternal and fetal free extracellular circulatory DNA in maternal plasma. Obstet Gynecol 96:991–996

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhong XY, Laivuori H, Livingston JC, Ylikorkala O, Sibai BM, Holzgreve W et al (2001) Elevation of both maternal and fetal extracellular circulating deoxyribonucleic acid concentrations in the plasma of pregnant women with preeclampsia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 184:414–419

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lam NY, Rainer TH, Chan LY, Joynt GM, Lo YM (2003) Time course of early and late changes in plasma DNA in trauma patients. Clin Chem 49:1286–1291

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Zhong XY, von Muhlenen I, Li Y, Kang A, Gupta KA, Tyndall A et al (2007) Increased concentrations of antibody-bound circulatory cell-free DNA in rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Chem 53:1609–1614

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Galeazzi M, Morozzi G, Piccini M, Chen J, Bellisai F, Fineschi S et al (2003) Dosage and characterization of circulating DNA: present usage and possible applications in systemic autoimmune disorders. Autoimmun Rev 2:50–55

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Chen JA, Meister S, Urbonaviciute V, Rodel F, Wilhelm S, Kalden JR et al (2007) Sensitive detection of plasma/serum DNA in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Autoimmunity 40:307–310

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lee T, Montalvo L, Chrebtow V, Busch MP (2001) Quantitation of genomic DNA in plasma and serum samples: higher concentrations of genomic DNA found in serum than in plasma. Transfusion 41:276–282

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Lo YMD, Poon LLM (2003) The ins and outs of fetal DNA in maternal plasma. Lancet 361:193

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lambert NC, Erickson TD, Yan Z, Pang JM, Guthrie KA, Furst DE et al (2004) Quantification of maternal microchimerism by HLA-specific real time polymerase chain reaction. Arthritis Rheum 50:906–914

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Lo YMD, Tein MSC, Lau TK, Haines CJ, Leung TN, Poon PMK et al (1998) Quantitative analysis of fetal DNA in maternal plasma and serum: implications for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. Am J Hum Genet 62:768–775

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Subcommittee for Scleroderma Criteria of the American Rheumatism Association Diagnostic and Therapeutic Criteria Committee (1980) Preliminary criteria for the classification of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). Arthritis Rheum 23:581–590

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. LeRoy EC, Black C, Fleischmajer R, Jablonska S, Krieg T, Medsger TA Jr et al (1988) Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis): classification, subsets and pathogenesis. J Rheumatol 15:9202–9205

    Google Scholar 

  19. Rodnan GP, Lipinski E, Luksick J (1979) Skin thickness and collagen content in progressive systemic sclerosis and localized scleroderma. Arthritis Rheum 22:130–140

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Valentini G, Della Rossa A, Bombardieri S, Bencivelli W, Silman AJ, D’Angelo S et al (2001) European multicentre study to define disease activity criteria for systemic sclerosis. II. Identification of disease activity variables and development of preliminary activity indexes. Ann Rheum Dis 60:592–598

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Valentini G, Matucci Cerinic M (2007) Disease-specific quality indicators, guidelines and outcome measures in scleroderma. Clin Exp Rheumatol 25(Suppl. 47):159–162

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Hudson M, Steele R, Baron M (2007) Update on indices of disease activity in systemic sclerosis. Semin Arthritis Rheum 37:93–98

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Stroun M, Lyautey J, Lederrey C, Olson-Sand A, Anker P (2001) About the possible origin and mechanism of circulating DNA apoptosis and active DNA release. Clin Chim Acta 313:139–142

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Zeederler S (2006) The struggle to detect circulating DNA. Crit Care 10:142. doi:10.1186/cc4932

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Van der Vaart M, Pretorius P (2008) Circulating DNA its origin and fluctuation. Ann NY Acad Sci 1137:18–26

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Trojanowska M, Varga J (2007) Molecular pathways as novel therapeutic targets in systemic sclerosis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 19:568–573

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Disclosures

None

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma no. 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Marta Mosca, Tiziana Giuliano, Marica Doveri, Chiara Tani, Francesca De Feo, Laura Bazzichi, Alessandra Della Rossa & Stefano Bombardieri

  2. Rheumatology Unit, Second University of Napoli, Napoli, Italy

    Giovanna Cuomo, Giuseppina Abignano & Gabriele Valentini

  3. U.O. Immunoematologia 2-Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy

    Michele Curcio

Authors
  1. Marta Mosca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tiziana Giuliano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Giovanna Cuomo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marica Doveri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chiara Tani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Michele Curcio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Giuseppina Abignano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Francesca De Feo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Laura Bazzichi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Alessandra Della Rossa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Gabriele Valentini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Stefano Bombardieri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marta Mosca.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mosca, M., Giuliano, T., Cuomo, G. et al. Cell-free DNA in the plasma of patients with systemic sclerosis. Clin Rheumatol 28, 1437–1440 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1245-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1245-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation