Fig. 1

Mitochondrial DNA variant number and the level of heteroplasmy in the colorectal cancer patients. Total variant number in (A) whole blood (WB), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), plasma extracellular vesicles (EV), and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor specimens from rectal cancer patients (n = 8) and in (B) WB, EV, and fresh-frozen (FF) tumor specimens from colon cancer patients (n = 8). Points connected with a line represent matched patient specimens. The mean number of all variants detected in each sample type was compared to the EV number by Dunnett´s multiple comparison. Venn diagram of all variants detected in the different sample types from (C) rectal (n = 8) and (D) colon (n = 8) cancer patients. Heteroplasmy levels in the different sample types from (E) rectal (n = 8) and (F) colon (n = 8) cancer patients. Low-level heteroplasmy (< 0.10) variants in the different sample types from (G) rectal (n = 8) and (H) colon (n = 8) cancer patients. Points connected with a line represent matched patient specimens. The mean number of all variants detected in each sample type was compared to the EV number by Dunnett´s multiple comparison. p-values for all relevant panels: *, 0.033; **, 0.0021; ***, 0.0002;****, < 0.0001