title: Methylation state of cellular genes and oncogenes as a marker of malignancy in human carcinomas.
abstract: The methylation pattern of the human HLA-DR alpha gene was analyzed in primary tumors and lymph node metastases isolated from patients with a variety of tumors, including thyroid, pancreas, breast and gastric carcinomas and melanomas. In normal tissues (including breast, muscle, brain, sperm, T-and B-lymphocytes) the HLA-DR alpha gene is hypermethylated at CCGG and GCGC sites. In all tissues studied, the only constantly unmethylated region was located in the 5' portion of the gene. Our results indicate that the HLA-DR alpha gene is hypomethylated in metastatic lymph nodes, as well as in the carcinomas and melanomas studied. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that DNA hypomethylation of the human HLA-DR alpha gene may represent a molecular marker of malignant tumors.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Chimica Biologica, Università di Ferrara, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gambari
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buzzoni
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piva
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mischiati
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: del Senno
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nastruzzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giacomini
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Natali
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008745:Methylation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D004247:DNA