[Aberrant methylation of APC and Bikunin CpG islands in sporadic breast carcinomas].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate relationship between methylation status of the APC and Bikunin CpG islands and clinicopathological characteristics of breast carcinomas.


METHODS
The methylation status of APC and Bikunin CpG islands in 152 sporadic breast carcinoma samples were analyzed by methylation specific PCR.


RESULTS
40.8% of breast carcinomas examined showed methylated signals for the APC. The methylation frequency of APC was significantly correlated to the tumor size (chi(2) = 4.041; P = 0.044), but not to patients' age, pathologic type of tumor, clinical stage, histological grade, lymph node metastasis and the status of estrogen or progestogen receptor. In addition, 24.6% of carcinoma samples examined revealed strong methylated signals for Bikunin. No significant correlation was found between the aberrant methylation of Bikunin and the clinicopathological characteristics of sporadic breast carcinomas.


CONCLUSIONS
The aberrant methylations of APC and Bikunin are frequent events during breast carcinogenesis. APC methylation might play a role in the progression of breast cancer.
Chen
Yang-Lin
YL
Peking University School of Oncology and Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Beijing 100036, China.
Xie
Yun-Tao
YT
Wen
Xian-Zi
XZ
Deng
Da-Jun
DJ
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm