Aberrant methylation of SOCS-1 was observed in younger colorectal cancer patients.
BACKGROUND Recently, it was demonstrated that sup-pressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) was frequently silenced by methylation of its CpG island inhuman hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To define the role of SOCS-1 in the tumorigenic pathway of the colorectum, we examined the methylation of SOCS-1 in tumors of colorectal cancer patients.


METHODS
We examined 74 colorectal cancer patients, using a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR;MSP) for SOCS-1 CpG island in primary tumors.


RESULTS
Aberrant methylation of the SOCS-1 CpG island was detected in 6 of the 74 (8%) colorectal cancer specimens. No corresponding normal colorectal tissues showed SOCS-1 methylation. We then analyzed the correlation between the clinicopathological features and SOCS-1 aberrant methylation and found that younger age was significantly related to SOCS-1 methylation (P = 0.048).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggested that SOCS-1 may act as a tumor suppressor in at least some colorectal cancers and that SOCS-1 methylation may be a particular phenomenon related to a nearly onset of colorectal cancer.
Fujitake
Shinichi
S
Gastrointestinal Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Hibi
Kenji
K
Okochi
Osamu
O
Kodera
Yasuhiro
Y
Ito
Katsuki
K
Akiyama
Seiji
S
Nakao
Akimasa
A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000071222:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 Protein; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C108944:SOCS1 protein, human; D000071222:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 Protein; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins