title: 5'-CpG island methylation of the FHIT gene is associated with reduced protein expression and higher clinical stage in cervical carcinomas.
abstract: Aberrant transcription of the FHIT gene has been observed in many solid tumors, suggesting that 5'-CpG island methylation of the FHIT gene is involved in tumor development. The authors investigated the status of the 5'-CpG island methylation of the FHIT gene and protein expression in a series of 40 cervical carcinomas and 10 normal cervical epithelial samples, and correlated the data with clinicopathological findings. Methylation-specific PCR was applied to detect the incidence of the 5'-CpG island methylation, and immunohistochemistry was used for FHIT protein staining. 5'-CpG island methylation of the FHIT gene was detected in 40% (16/40) of the cervical cancer samples and in none of normal cervical epithelial specimens. Furthermore, the 5'-CpG island methylation was positively associated with clinical stage (p=.002). All the normal cervical epithelial samples (10/10) and 90% (36/40) of the cervical carcinomas were positive when the unmethylated primer pair was applied. Of the 16 cervical carcinomas with 5'-CpG island methylation of the FHIT gene by PCR, 15 showed reduced FHIT protein expression. This study suggests that 5'-CpG island methylation plays an important role in inactivation of the FHIT gene in cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Huirong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Zhenhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Suo
authors.forename: Jahn M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nesland
mesh_terms: D017766:Acid Anhydride Hydrolases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018899:CpG Islands / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D000099170:Bis(5'-adenosyl)triphosphatase
chemical_list: D017766:Acid Anhydride Hydrolases; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000099170:Bis(5'-adenosyl)triphosphatase