Post-mortem Plasma Cell-Free DNA Sequencing: Proof-of-Concept Study for the “Liquid Autopsy”

Recent genomic studies on cancer tissues obtained during rapid autopsy have provided insights into the clonal evolution and heterogeneity of cancer. However, post-mortem blood has not been subjected to genetic analyses in relation to cancer. We first confirmed that substantial quantities of cell-free DNA were present in the post-mortem plasma of 12 autopsy cases. Then, we focused on a pilot case of prostate cancer with multiple metastases for genetic analyses. Whole-exome sequencing of post-mortem plasma-derived cell-free DNA and eight frozen metastatic cancer tissues collected during rapid autopsy was performed, and compared their mutational statuses. The post-mortem plasma cell-free DNA was successfully sequenced and 344 mutations were identified. Of these, 160 were detected in at least one of the metastases. Further, 99% of the mutations shared by all metastases were present in the plasma. Sanger sequencing of 30 additional formalin-fixed metastases enabled us to map the clones harboring mutations initially detected only in the plasma. In conclusion, post-mortem blood, which is usually disposed of during conventional autopsies, can provide valuable data if sequenced in detail, especially regarding cancer heterogeneity. Furthermore, post-mortem plasma cell-free DNA sequencing (liquid autopsy) can be a novel platform for cancer research and a tool for genomic pathology.