title: The association of methylation in the promoter of APC and MGMT and the prognosis of Taiwanese CRC patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of methylation in the promoter regions of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and the survival of Taiwanese colorectal cancer (CRC) subjects who received 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) adjuvant chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DNA isolated from tumor tissue of 117 CRC subjects was analyzed for the existence of methylation in the promoter regions of APC and MGMT by methylation-specific PCR. Various characteristics of the 117 subjects were recorded and used in the Cox proportional-hazard model analyses. Methylation in the promoter region is 62.4% (73/117) for APC and 60.7% (71/117) for MGMT in our CRC patients. Subjects presenting methylation in the APC promoter demonstrate significantly lower hazards for all causes of death (hazard ratios=0.378, p=0.011) or CRC deaths (hazard ratios=0.426, p=0.039). However, no significant correlation is found between the methylation of MGMT promoter and the prognosis of CRC subjects. In addition, no interaction between 5-FU adjuvant chemotherapy and methylation of the two genes are observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methylation in the APC promoter may serve as a predictor for the prognosis of Taiwanese CRC patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu-Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shee-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sheng-Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Chang-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shinn-Zong
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jung-Cheng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yi-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Po-Cheng
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Cheng-Yoong
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Horng-Jyh
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Harn
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000235:genetics*; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017491:Genes, APC; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013624:Taiwan; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases; C515491:MGMT protein, human; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes; D005472:Fluorouracil