title: [Research into methylation of p16 gene in the patients suffering from coal-burnt arsenism in Xingren County Guizhou Province].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To probe into the situation and significance of p16 gene CPG island methylation in patients with arseniasis caused by coal-burning pollution.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA was extracted using the Phenol-Chloroform method from leukocytes of 51 patients suffered from coal-burnt arsenism and 52 healthy volunteers. The quantity of the DNA was determined by UV spectrophotometry. Target DNA was denatured by NaOH, then the single strand DNA was modified by sodium bisulfite, converting all unmethylated (but not the methylated) cytosines to uracil. Subsequently a nested amplification with primers specific for methylated versus unmethylated DNA was performed, and PCR products were detected by gel electrophoresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypermethylation of the p16 CPG island was presented in 94.1% of the patients suffering from coal-burnt arsenism and in 73.1% of the healthy volunteers. There was statistical difference (P < 0.05) between them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methylation of p16 gene CPG island should have important pertinence in the metabolism of coal-burnt arsenism.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Guiyang Medical College, Guizhou 550004, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Xue
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ke-Ren
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Yun-Shu
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Cheng-Xiu
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ming-Liang
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D002681:China; D003031:Coal; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation; D019942:Genes, p16; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D003031:Coal