title: DNA methyltransferase expression and DNA hypermethylation in human hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Aberrant DNA methylation and increased expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are features of tumor cells. To investigate roles for DNMTs during hepatocarcinogenesis, we examined DNMT expression at both the mRNA and protein level in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and paired non-neoplastic liver tissues, along with measuring the DNA methylation status of five tumor suppressor genes. Expression of DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b mRNA was detected in 33.3, 59.3, and 55.6% of HCCs and 40.7, 22.2, and 0% of non-neoplastic liver tissues, respectively. DNMT1 and DNMT3a were immunoreactive in 100 and 48% of HCCs and 52 and 0% of non-neoplastic liver tissues. The DNMT3a mRNA expression profile showed significant correlation with its immunoreactivity (P=0.022). DNA methylation status of five tumor suppressor genes, HIC-1, p16, RASSF1A, p53, and RB1 was detected in 85.2, 48.1, 44.4, 22.2, and 0% of HCCs, respectively. There was no significant correlation between DNMT mRNA expression and DNA methylation (P>0.05). DNMT immunoreactivity was also not associated with DNA methylation except HIC-1 (P=0.036) and p53 methylation (P=0.009). Despite the lack of correlation between DNA methylation status and DNMT expression, the frequency of hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes remained relatively high in HCCs, suggesting that regional DNA hypermethylation is involved in hepatocarcinogenesis and that there may be other mechanisms for increasing DNA methylation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Bio/Molecular Informatics Center, Konkuk University, 1 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Eunsil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yhong-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Shim
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D000090205:DNA Methyltransferase 3A; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000097584:DNA Methyltransferase 3B
chemical_list: D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; D000090205:DNA Methyltransferase 3A; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000097584:DNA Methyltransferase 3B; C000717967:DNMT3A protein, human; C000619380:DNMT1 protein, human