Open AccessNasopharyngeal brushing: a convenient and feasible sampling method for nucleic acid‐based nasopharyngeal carcinoma research
Author(s) -
Zhang PeiFen,
Zheng XiaoHui,
Li XiZhao,
Tian Tian,
Zhang ShaoDan,
Hu YeZhu,
Jia WeiHua
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
cancer communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.119
H-Index - 53
ISSN - 2523-3548
DOI - 10.1186/s40880-018-0278-z
Subject(s) - nasopharyngeal carcinoma , nucleic acid , polymerase chain reaction , biopsy , sampling (signal processing) , epstein–barr virus , real time polymerase chain reaction , biology , virus , pathology , medicine , virology , gene , genetics , filter (signal processing) , computer science , computer vision , radiation therapy
Background Tissue specimens for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) research are scarce because of sampling difficulties. Previous studies have suggested non‐invasive nasopharyngeal brushing as an effective sampling method for NPC diagnosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of nasopharyngeal brushing in the acquisition of NPC nucleic acids for research. Methods Nasopharyngeal brushing samples were acquired from 24 healthy individuals and 48 NPC patients. Tissues from 48 NPC and 18 nasopharyngitis patients were collected by endoscopic biopsy. The expression levels of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)‐encoded microRNAs as well as EBV DNA copy number were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in both types of samples. Results Among six TSGs examined, the expression levels of two genes were significantly decreased in nasopharyngeal brushing and tissue samples from NPC patients as compared with those from healthy/nasopharyngitis individuals. Four EBV‐encoded microRNAs, mir‐bart1‐5p, mir‐bart5, mir‐bart6‐5p, and mir‐bart17‐5p, were significantly up‐regulated in both NPC brushing and tissue samples compared with those from healthy/nasopharyngitis controls ( P < 0.001). EBV DNA was significantly increased in both nasopharyngeal brushing samples ( P < 0.001) and tissue samples ( P < 0.001) from NPC patients in comparison with those from healthy controls. Conclusions Nasopharyngeal brushing can obtain sufficient tumoral materials for the analysis of viral nucleic acid, including EBV‐encoded microRNAs and EBV DNA. For the detection of TSG expression, nasopharyngeal brushings was feasible but inferior to tissue samples. This study confirms nasopharyngeal brushing as an applicable sampling method that can aid in nucleic acid‐based NPC research.