title: Detection of aberrant p16 methylation in the serum of colorectal cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to detect aberrant p16 promoter methylation in the serum of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and to explore the possibility of using this assay in early detection or as a prognostic marker of CRC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Methylation-specific PCR was used to detect p16 methylation in DNA extracted from 52 CRCs and matching serum samples and control serum samples from 34 patients with adenomatous polyps and 10 healthy individuals. The association of p16 hypermethylation in serum DNA of CRC patients with clinicopathological characteristics was then analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  P16 hypermethylation was found in 20 of 52 (38%) CRCs. Among the 20 cases with aberrant methylation in the tumor tissues, similar changes were also detected in the serum of 14 (70%) cases. No methylated p16 sequences were detected in the peripheral serum of the other 32 CRC cases without these changes in the tumor, in 34 patients with adenomatous polyps, or in 10 healthy control subjects. Clinicopathological analysis revealed that p16 methylation in serum was significantly associated with later Dukes' stage (P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This assay offers a potential means for the serum-based detection and/or monitoring of CRC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Zhi
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Bao-Ming
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Zhi-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ji-Yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cang
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Dong Hua
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Guo-Guang
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yi
mesh_terms: D018256:Adenomatous Polyps / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm