title: [Analysis of RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation in serum DNA of non-small cell lung cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the hypermethylation status of RASSF1A promoter in serum DNA of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient and evaluate its correlation with clinicopathological parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of 75 NSCLC patients and another 35 patients with benign pulmonary disease and 15 healthy donors. The methylation status of RASSF1A promoter was determined using methylation-specific PCR (MSP), and the correlation of methylation profiles with clinicopathological parameters was statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aberrant methylation of RASSF1A was detected in 23 of 75 (30.7%) cancer patients, but in none of patients with benign pulmonary disease or in healthy donors (P <0.001). RASSF1A hypermethylation status was found to be correlated with late stage and poor differentiation (P < 0.05), but not with gender, age or histopathology in NSCLC patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypermethylated RASSF1A promoter is frequently found in the serum DNA of non-small cell lung cancer patient, and RASSF1A may become a promising novel biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis prediction in lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command, PLA, Nanjing 210002, China. fish@e165.com
authors.forename: Zheng-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yui-Cai
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Long-Bang
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xin-Yi
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chi-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; C411762:RASSF1 protein, human; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins