High-Resolution Melting (HRM) Analysis of Urinary DNA Methylation for Early Stage Bladder Cancer Diagnosis

Abstract

Bladder cancer (BC) requires early detection for improved patient outcomes. Traditional methods like cystoscopy and cytology are invasive, costly, and have limited sensitivity, especially in early-stage disease. This study assessed a non-invasive, urine-based approach using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis to detect DNA methylation at POU4F2 and ZNF671 biomarker loci. Urine samples from eight BC patients and seven healthy controls were analyzed. The methylation profiles showed distinct differences, with both markers achieving 87.5% sensitivity, 85.7% specificity, and 86.7% accuracy. Combined, the two-gene panel showed similar diagnostic performance. HRM-based profiling offers a rapid, cost-effective, and scalable method for non-invasive bladder cancer screening, diagnosis, and surveillance, requiring validation in larger studies.