Age-related hypermethylation of the hMLH1 promoter in gastric cancers.
To determine whether methylation of the hMLH1 promoter is related to increasing age and gastric carcinogenesis, we examined hMLH1 methylation and expression in 100 gastric cancers. hMLH1 methylation and aberrant protein expression were observed in 9 and 13 cancers, respectively. Normal and intestinal metaplastic tissues adjacent to cancers with hypermethylation did not exhibit any hMLH1 methylation, indicating that it may be specific to gastric cancers. The frequency of hMLH1 methylation significantly increased with age. These results suggest that hMLH1 methylation plays an important role in gastric carcinogenesis in old people.
Nakajima
T
T
Department of Molecular Oncology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
Akiyama
Y
Y
Shiraishi
J
J
Arai
T
T
Yanagisawa
Y
Y
Ara
M
M
Fukuda
Y
Y
Sawabe
M
M
Saitoh
K
K
Kamiyama
R
R
Hirokawa
K
K
Yuasa
Y
Y
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C501486:MLH1 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1