Este trabajo fue posible debido al apoyo del Consejo Na-cional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONCYTEC), contrato 359-2006-CONCYTEC-OAJ y de la Facultad de Medicina de U. de San Martín de Porres (proyectos E10012007006, E10012009013).

Universidad de San Martin de Porres Funds, Lima, Per (Project number E20012003005), Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnolog a Per (CONCYTEC).

We analyzed mitochondrial DNA haplotypes from 144 samples of islanders of the Taquile and Amantani (Quechua speakers) and Los Uros and Anapia (Aymara speakers) of the Lake Titicaca, Peru. We have found the highest frequency of B1 mtDNA haplotype ever reported: 100% in Taquile (n= 57); 88,6% in Amantani (n= 35); 87,5% in Anapia (n= 24) and 75% in Los Uros (n= 28). There are other haplotypes but in low frequencies: 11,4% of C1 in Amantani; 17,9% of A2 and 7,1% of D1 in Los Uros; 4,2% of C1, C2 and D1 haplotypes in Anapia. The high frequency of the B1 haplotype indicates that Taquile, Amantaní and Anapia islands have been populated by a reduced founder group. Although the genetic affinity between islanders of Anapia and Los Uros, the proportion of some alleles in the latter suggest the persistence of the uru genetic background.

Background: Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is used in clinical research to identify biomarkers for diagnosis of and follow-up on cancer. Here, we propose a fast and innovative approach using traditional housekeeping genes as cfDNA targets in a copy number analysis. We focus on the application of highly sensitive technology such as digital PCR (dPCR) to differentiate breast cancer (BC) patients and controls by quantifying regions of PUM1 and RPPH1 (RNase P) in plasma samples. Methods: We conducted a case-control study with 82 BC patients and 82 healthy women. cfDNA was isolated from plasma using magnetic beads and quantified by spectrophotometry to estimate total cfDNA. Then, both PUM1 and RPPH1 genes were specifically quantified by dPCR. Data analysis was calibrated using a reference genomic DNA in different concentrations.Results: We found RNase P and PUM1 values were correlated in the patient g...

OAJ-2003

Advances in high-throughput technologies and their involvement in the 'omics' of cancer have made possible the identification of hundreds of biomarkers and the development of predictive and prognostic platforms that model the management of cancer from evidence-based medicine to precision medicine. Latin America (LATAM) is a region characterised by fragmented healthcare, high rates of poverty and disparities to access to a basic standard of care not only for cancer but also for other complex diseases. Patients from the public setting cannot afford targeted therapy, the facilities offering genomic platforms are scarce and the use of high-precision radiotherapy is limited to few facilities. Despite the fact that LATAM oncologists are well-trained in the use of genomic platforms and constantly participate in genomic projects, a medical practice based in precision oncology is a great challeng...

Background: Promoter hypermethylation is one of the enabling mechanisms of hallmarks of cancer. Tumor suppressor genes like RARB and GSTP1 have been reported as hypermethylated in breast cancer tumors compared with normal tissues in several populations. This case–control study aimed to determine the association between the promoter methylation ratio (PMR) of RARB and GSTP1 genes (separately and as a group) with breast cancer and its clinical-pathological variables in Peruvian patients, using a liquid biopsy approach. Methods: A total of 58 breast cancer patients and 58 healthy controls, matched by age, participated in the study. We exacted cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from blood plasma and converted it by bisulfite salts. Methylight PCR was performed to obtain the PMR value of the studied genes. We determined the association between PMR and breast cancer, in addition to other clinicopathologi...