Hydroxymethylation analysis of cell-free nucleic acid samples for assigning tissue of origin, and related methods of use

A method for probabilistically assigning a tissue of origin to cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in a fluid sample obtained from a human subject, comprising:

• (a) analyzing the cfDNA in the fluid sample by assessing hydroxymethylation levels within the cfDNA at each of a plurality of hydroxymethylation biomarker loci to generate a sample hydroxymethylation profile, wherein each biomarker locus is contained within a differentially hydroxymethylated genomic region associated with a tissue-specific gene that is both differentially represented and differentially expressed with respect to tissue of origin, and further wherein the biomarker loci analyzed comprise
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of AARD, ADARB1, AKR1B10, CRYM-AS1, EPHA3, GTSF1, KCNMB1, MAP1B, NT5DC3, P2RX1, PCP4, PGM5, PLCD4, PTGFR, RBFOX3, SCARA3, SLIT3, SNX29P1, ST8SIA1, TBX4, TXNRD1, VCL, and WFDC3;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of ABCA13, AZU1, CA1, CEACAM8, CLEC6A, DAZL, DRGX, DYTN, ELANE, FCAR, GFI1, GYPA, HK3, IL18RAP, LINC00333, LINC00550, LINC00558, LIPN, LOC100129620, LOC442028, LPO, MEFV, MMP8, MMP9, MPO, MS4A3, MYB, MYO1F, NCOR1P1, NME8, OR8U8, OSCAR, PARPBP, PAX3, PDCL2, PRDM13, PROK2, RGS18, RGS21, RRM2, RXFP2, SERPINB10, SLC22A16, SPATA16, SPI1, SPTA1, TARM1, TMPRSS15, TRIM58, VSTM1, and XKR;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of ASPHD1, BRSK1, CCDC177, CNTN2, HAPLN2, KCNJ10, KIF1A, LGI3, NCAN, NR2E1, RHBDL3, TMEM151A, TMEM235, TMEM59L, and ZNF488;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of ADPRHL1, ASB18, ATP1A3, CDH13, CORO6, FSD2, GALNT16, GJA3, MYOM2, PCDHGA1, PCDHGA10, PCDHGA11, PCDHGA12, PCDHGA2, PCDHGA3, PCDHGA4, PCDHGA5, PCDHGA6, PCDHGA7, PCDHGA8, PCDHGA9, PCDHGB1, PCDHGB2, PCDHGB3, PCDHGB5, PCDHGB6, PCDHGB7, PXDNL, RPL3L, SGCG, and TNNT1;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of BBOX1, BCRP3, CA12, COL4A3, CXCL14, CYS1, EVC, FIGNL2, GALNT14, GLIS2, HAVCR1, LOC100130238, PAQR5, PAX2, PAX8, PLA2G15, SLC22A2, SLC9A3, SULT1C2, and TSPAN33;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of ABCC2, ABCG5, ABCG8, AHSG, AKR1C4, AMDHD1, APOH, ASGR1, ASGR2, C3P1, C8A, C8B, C9, CA5A, CFHR4, CPN2, CREB3L3, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2E1, CYP3A4, DHODH, F12, F2, F7, GC, HAL, HPD, HPX, INHBC, ITIH1, ITIH2, ITIH3, KNG1, LBP, PGLYRP2, PLG, PROC, PRODH2, SERPINA6, SERPINC1, SLC13A5, SLC22A1, SLC25A47, SLC27A5, SULT2A1, TFR2, TMPRSS6, and UROC1;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of ANXA3, BMP5, CYP4Z2P, DRAM1, FMO2, GNA15, IDO1, KCNS3, LIMCH1, MBIP, PAPSS2, PCDH17, RSPH4A, RTKN2, and TRPC6;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of ACAP1, AKNA, ARHGAP9, BCL11B, BIRC3, CARD11, CD180, CD37, CD3E, CD3G, CD40, CETP, CIITA, CLEC2D, CNR2, CXCR5, DOCK10, ETS1, GPR132, GPR18, ICAM2, ICOS, ITGB7, ITK, KIAA1551, KLHL6, LCK, LINC00426, LY86, MDS2, MEOX2, MX2, NAPSB, PATL2, PCED1B-AS1, PIK3CD, PLVAP, POU2F2, SCIMP, SCML4, SLFN12L, SMAP2, SP110, SPIB, TLR10, TMC8, TMEM156, TNFAIP8, TNFRSF9, TNFSF11, TRAF1, TRIM22, UCP2, and ZC3H12D;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of ABCA10, ACSS3, ADAMTS5, AQP11, C7, CDH3, CDON, CLDN11, COL14A1, COLEC11, ESR2, FAM198B, FZD3, GALNT10, GLI2, GSTM5, HS3ST1, LEMD1-AS1, LHX9, LRRC17, MCHR1, MRC2, NTF3, OMD, PDGFRA, PGR, PKNOX2, PTCH2, RWDD4, SCD5, SERPINE2, SIMC1, SLC25A17, SNCAIP, SULF2, TENM4, TSPAN5, TTC8, and UBXN8;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of ALDH1L2, ANKEF1, ASNS, B3GALNT2, BCAT1, CASP9, CCDC110, CELA2B, CELA3B, CFTR, CHMP4C, CLDN1, CNIH3, COCH, CUZD1, DEFB1, EGF, EIF4EBP1, ERP27, FAM24B-CUZD1, FBXW12, GUCA1C, KCTD16, KIAA1324, LINC00339, LNX2, MKNK1, NAA16, NPHS1, PAIP2B, PM20D1, PRSS3, SCGN, SEL1L, SERPINI2, SH3YL1, SLC33A1, SLC4A4, TC2N, TDH, TMEM51-AS1, TRHDE, and UMOD;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of ADAM12, ATG9B, ATP6V1C2, BCAR4, BMP1, BPGM, CSF3R, CYP11A1, CYP19A1, DACT2, DEPDC1B, DLX5, EBI3, GCM1, GPR78, GSTA3, IGF2BP3, IGSF5, ISM2, KISS1, KRT23, LIN28B, MMP11, PGF, PSG11, PSG2, PSG3, PSG6, PSG7, PSG8, SPTLC3, TPRXL, ZFAT, and ZNF554;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of ABCC4, ACPP, ALOX15B, ANO7, AP1B1P1, ARG2, BEND4, C6orf132, C6orf52, CANT1, CASZ1, CBFA2T2, CHRM1, CHRNA2, COL26A1, EVX1, EYA2, FAM135A, HMGN2P46, KLK2, KLKP1, MME, MPPED2, MUC12, NANS, NCAPD3, NEFH, NIPAL3, OACYLP, OR51E2, PAK1IP1, PDE9A, PI15, PMEPA1, POTEF, RDH11, SCNN1G, SIM2, SLC14A1, SLC22A3, SLC2A12, SLC30A4, SLC35F2, SLC37A1, SLC39A6, SPDEF, STEAP2, THSD4, TMEM79, TPM3P9, TXNDC16, URB1, VIPR1, ZNF350, ZNF532, ZNF613, ZNF649, ZNF761, and ZNF827;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of GADL1, GIPC3, PTGES3L, and WSCD2;
• three or more genes selected from the group consisting of CCDC27, DMRT1, DNAJC5G, FBXO24, IGLL1, MOV10L1, SEPT14, THEG, and TTC16;
• at least one gene selected from FGL2 and SCNN1B;
• and at least one gene selected from ASTN1 and DGK1;
• (b) comparing each assessed hydroxymethylation level in the sample hydroxymethylation profile with a corresponding reference hydroxymethylation level at each biomarker locus analyzed, the reference hydroxymethylation levels being contained within a plurality of different tissue-specific reference hydroxymethylation profiles in a reference data set, thereby generating a hydroxymethylation difference data set comprising differences identified between the generated sample hydroxymethylation profile and the reference hydroxymethylation profiles at each biomarker locus;
• (c) using a computer system, carrying out a correlation analysis using one or more algorithms that determine a statistical correlation between the assessed hydroxymethylation levels and the reference hydroxymethylation levels at each biomarker locus;
• and
• (d) using the statistical correlation, providing a probabilistic assignment of at least one tissue of origin to the cfDNA.