Correlation between Serum DNA Methylation and Prognosis in Gastric Cancer Patients

• Published in: Anticancer research 2006-05, Vol.26 (3B), p.2313-2316
• Main Authors: IKOMA, Hisashi, ICHIKAWA, Daisuke, KOIKE, Hiroshi, IKOMA, Daito, TANI, Nobuyuki, OKAMOTO, Kazuma, OCHIAI, Toshiya, UEDA, Yuji, OTSUJI, Eigo, YAMAGISHI, Hisakazu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cadherins - genetics; DNA Methylation; DNA, Neoplasm - blood; Female; Gastrectomy; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Genes, p16; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Receptors, Retinoic Acid - genetics; Retrospective Studies; Stomach Neoplasms - blood; Stomach Neoplasms - genetics; Stomach Neoplasms - surgery; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Survival Rate; Tumors
• ISSN: 0250-7005; 1791-7530

Background: Gastric carcinogenesis is thought to involve multiple genetic and epigenetic changes. The relationships between the promoter methylation status of relevant genes in the serum and outcomes in patients undergoing curative gastrectomy for cancer were investigated. Materials and Methods: Pre-operative serum samples obtained from 97 gastric cancer patients, who underwent radical gastrectomy, were subjected to methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) assays for the p16, E-cadherin and retinoic acid receptor beta (RARβ) genes. Results: Promoter hypermethylation of p16, E-cadherin and the RARβ gene was detected in sera from 18 (19%), 24 (25%) and 24 patients (25%), respectively. Altogether, 47 patients (48%) showed hypermethylation of at least one gene analyzed. Survival curves differed significantly between groups defined by the methylation status of E-cadherin (p