# Preservation of 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Levels in LRIG1 across Genomic DNA and Cell-Free DNA in Glioma Patients

## TL;DR

This study identifies LRIG1 as a potential biomarker for glioma by analyzing 5-hydroxymethylcytosine levels in cell-free and genomic DNA.

## Contribution

LRIG1 is shown to have elevated 5hmC levels in both cfDNA and gDNA of glioma patients, suggesting its potential as a cancer biomarker.

## Key findings

- LRIG1 and ZNF703 showed elevated 5hmC levels in glioma patients' cfDNA and gDNA compared to controls.
- LRIG1 gene expression was upregulated in glioma tissue and correlated with 5hmC levels.
- LRIG1 expression was higher in glioma than in 17 other cancers, highlighting its specificity.

## Abstract

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has recently emerged as a promising minimally invasive diagnostic biomarker for various cancers. In this study, our aim was to identify cfDNA biomarkers by investigating genes that displayed significant differences between glioma patients and their corresponding controls. To accomplish this, we utilized publicly available data from the Gene Expression Omnibus, focusing on 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) profiles in both cfDNA and genomic DNA (gDNA) from glioma patients and healthy individuals. The intersection of gene lists derived from these comparative analyses unveiled LRIG1 and ZNF703 as the two genes with elevated 5hmC levels in both the cfDNA of glioma patients and gDNA of glioma tissue compared to their respective controls. The gene expression data revealed both genes were upregulated in glioma tissue compared to normal brain tissue. Integration of 5hmC data revealed a strong positive correlation in the glioma tissue group between 5hmC and the gene expression of the LRIG1 gene. Furthermore, exploration using the AmiCa web tool indicated that LRIG1 gene expression was elevated compared to 17 other cancers included in the database, emphasizing its potential as a distinctive biomarker across multiple cancer types.