Association of Endogenous PCR Final Product in HPV Human Samples with EBiS Measurements

Abstract

Genomic medicine promises valuable support for the clinician in predicting pathological conditions. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) remains the gold standard for gene detection. Electrical Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (EBiS) is a non-invasive, low-cost technique that allows examining the electrical properties of biological materials. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with cervical cancer and has recently been studied as a potential risk factor for prostate cancer (PCa). An EBiS-based genosensor has been proposed to detect fragments of the HPV L1 gene. As an initial approach, this study evaluates the feasibility of detecting a human endogenous gene present in PCa samples through EBiS measurements of the final PCR product. Thirty samples from patients diagnosed with PCa were examined, PCR amplification of the edogenous gene OGG1 was performed and the gene amplification, evidenced by electrophoresis, was estimated semiquantitatively based on the intensity of bands in agarose gel, which was correlated with EBiS measurements. The results indicate a significant association between the band intensity and the bioimpedance phase angle at low frequencies, particularly at 144 Hz (R=0.52, p<0.05). The detection of an endogenous gene in PCa samples is feasible using EBiS and opens the possibility of new studies to explore the feasibility of the same technique allowing the detection of PCa-specific genes, such as the GP 5+/6+ fragment of the HPV L1 gene.