Abstract B017: MicroRNA and proteomic analyses of plasma extracellular vesicles detect diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Lee Arthur A. , Rayamajhi Sagar , Hu Mengjia , Pathak Harsh , Puri Rajni V. , Isakova Kamilla , Han Mei , Berquist Claire S. , Mackintosh Samuel G. , Byrum Stephanie D. , Province Dennis W. , Rahman Mohammod M. , Ahmmed Foyez , Bantis Leonidas E. , Witek Malgorzata A. , Soper Steven A. , Godwin Andrew K. , Abdelhakim Haitham 
Published: November 2024

Background: Liquid biopsy offers a non-invasive method for detection of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Tissue biopsy, the standard method of NHL detection, causes patient discomfort and increases risk of infection. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by cells as particles with cargos of nucleic acids and proteins enclosed in a lipid bilayer. The most common NHL subtype is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We analyzed plasma-derived EVs from DLBCL patients and matching healthy controls for microRNA (miRNA) and protein to identify potential liquid biopsy biomarkers. Approach: Plasma samples (1 mL) from DLBCL patients and healthy controls were eluted through Izon size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) to obtain EVs. The size distribution of EVs was characterized with nanoparticle tracking analysis. For miRNA analysis, SEC EVs from three DLBCL patients and three matching healthy controls underwent further selection by immunocapture and release according to NHL antigens CD19, CD20, CD22, and C37, with an EV microfluidic affinity purification (EV-MAP) chip. Western blot confirmed the presence of these NHL antigens in NHL cell lysate and NHL cell culture SEC EVs, with flow cytometry verifying expression on NHL cells. MiRNA from these immunocaptured EVs were then isolated and sequenced with Qiagen kits. MiRNA levels were assessed for fold change (FC) expression between cases and controls. Upregulated miRNAs from DLBCL patients were compiled with the miRNA Enrichment Analysis and Annotation Tool (miEAA). For proteomic analysis, SEC EVs from ten DLBCL patients and ten matching healthy controls were measured with label-free mass spectrometry and a custom peptide library. Protein levels were assessed for FC expression and compiled with the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The size of EVs ranged from 50–300 nm. Exclusively different upregulated miRNAs (FC&gt;2, p&lt;0.05, FDR p&lt;0.05) were found by selection with different antigens: None unique with CD19, one with CD20, eight with CD22, and one with CD37. MiR-320b was upregulated with CD20 (FC=52, p=0.0002, FDR p=0.02), and miR-3168 with CD37 (FC=906, p=0.0003, FDR p=0.02). With CD22, miR-190b-5p, let-7c-5p, miR-1-3p, miR-125b-5p, miR-133a-3p, miR-153-3p, miR- 184, and miR-206 were upregulated in DLBCL patients (FC&gt;17, p&lt;0.003, FDR p&lt;0.05). The miEAA recognized all the upregulated CD22 miRNAs as overrepresented in B-cell lymphoma, except for miR-190b-5p. Proteomic analysis of EVs found 42 different exo-proteins with AUC&gt;0.90 (p&lt;0.05) and 12 different exo-proteins with AUC&gt;0.95 (p&lt;0.009) upregulated in DLBCL patients. Two upregulated exo-proteins (FC&gt;2.81, p&lt;0.0002, adjusted p&lt;0.004), ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 13 (ADAMTS13) and von Willebrand Factor (vWF), achieved a perfect AUC=1 (p=0.00001) for all DLBCL patients and healthy controls. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that liquid biopsy of plasma EVs detect DLBCL. Upregulated miRNA and proteomic signatures via EVs indicate the presence of DLBCL for non-invasive NHL detection.

Citation Format: Arthur A. Lee, Sagar Rayamajhi, Mengjia Hu, Harsh Pathak, Rajni V. Puri, Kamilla Isakova, Mei Han, Claire S. Berquist, Samuel G. Mackintosh, Stephanie D. Byrum, Dennis W. Province, Mohammod M. Rahman, Foyez Ahmmed, Leonidas E. Bantis, Malgorzata A. Witek, Steven A. Soper, Andrew K. Godwin, Haitham Abdelhakim. MicroRNA and proteomic analyses of plasma extracellular vesicles detect diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Liquid Biopsy: From Discovery to Clinical Implementation; 2024 Nov 13-16; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2024;30(21_Suppl):Abstract nr B017.