DNA methyltransferase expression and DNA methylation in human hepatocellular carcinoma and their clinicopathological correlation

摘要: . Aberrant DNA methylation on CpG islands is one of the most consistent epigenetic changes in human cancers, and process catalyzed by methyltransferase (DNMT). We evaluated i) mRNA levels three DNMTs; DNMT1, DNMT3a DNMT3b, 25 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), their corresponding non-cancerous liver tissues 7 normal livers using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction; ii) nuclear expression DNMT1 proteins HCCs immunohistochemistry, iii) status 5 genes; p16, p15, E-cadherin, HIC-1 RASSF1A same tissues, iv) relationships between above results clinicopathological characteristics, including prognosis. The differences for DNMT3b were statistically significant HCC (p 4-fold was significantly associated with a poorer overall survival (p=0.027) shorter metastasis-free (p=0.0299). A recurrence-free noted >4-fold increase (p=0.0120). average numbers methylated genes 0, 1.27, 1.38 2.72 livers, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis HCCs, respectively, this progressive from to hepatitis/cirrhosis through may suggest that tumor suppressor gene an early event hepatocarcinogenesis. These first hepatocarcinogenesis involves increased number liver, secondly relative be predictor poor survival.