| Summary: | Liquid biopsy provides real-time monitoring of tumor evolution and response to therapy through analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and plasma-circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). <i>USP44</i> is a critical gene which plays an important role in cell proliferation; however, its accurate role in other cellular networks is under research. <i>USP44</i> promoter methylation has been so far reported in colorectal neoplasia and metastatic breast cancer. In this study, we examined for the first time <i>USP44</i> promoter methylation in plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) of patients with prostate cancer (early stage <i>n</i> = 32, metastatic <i>n</i> = 39) and 10 healthy donors (HD). <i>USP44</i> promoter methylation was detected in plasma cell-free DNA by a newly developed highly specific and sensitive real-time MSP method. Our findings indicate that <i>USP44</i> promoter is methylated in plasma cell-free DNA of metastatic prostate cancer patients and that detection of <i>USP44</i> promoter methylation is significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (<i>p</i> = 0.008). We report for the first time that detection of <i>USP44</i> promoter methylation in plasma cell free DNA provides significant prognostic information in metastatic prostate cancer.
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