A two-gene methylation signature for the diagnosis of bladder cancer in urine

Aim: To analyze the potential of 14 cancer-associated genes, including six miRNAs, for bladder cancer (BC) diagnosis in urine. Patients & methods: DNA methylation levels of 14 genes were analyzed in urine of 72 BC patients and 75 healthy controls using quantitative methylation-specific PCR. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine an optimal marker panel. Results: Ten genes were significantly hypermethylated in BC patients. The GHSR/MAL combination showed the best diagnostic performance, reaching a sensitivity of 92% (95% CI: 86–99) and a specificity of 85% (95% CI: 76–94). Conclusion: We identified a novel two-gene panel with a high diagnostic accuracy for BC that can be applied in a noninvasive, urine-based test.