title: Epigenetic inactivation of the miR-34a in hematological malignancies.
abstract: miR-34a is a transcriptional target of p53 and implicated in carcinogenesis. We studied the role of miR-34a methylation in a panel of hematological malignancies including acute leukemia [acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)], chronic leukemia [chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)], multiple myeloma (MM) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The methylation status of miR-34a promoter was studied in 12 cell lines and 188 diagnostic samples by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. miR-34a promoter was unmethylated in normal controls but methylated in 75% lymphoma and 37% myeloma cell lines. Hypomethylating treatment led to re-expression of pri-miR-34a transcript in lymphoma cells with homozygous miR-34a methylation. In primary samples at diagnosis, miR-34a methylation was detected in 4% CLL, 5.5% MM samples and 18.8% of NHL at diagnosis but none of ALL, AML and CML (P = 0.011). In MM patients with paired samples, miR-34a methylation status remained unchanged at progression. Amongst lymphoid malignancies, miR-34a was preferentially methylated in NHL (P = 0.018), in particular natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma. In conclusion, amongst hematological malignancies, miR-34a methylation is preferentially hypermethylated in NHL, in particular NK/T-cell lymphoma, in a tumor-specific manner, therefore the role of miR-34a in lymphomagenesis warrants further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China. jcschim@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chim
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Loong
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Costello
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D016158:Genes, p53; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
chemical_list: C522425:MIRN34 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs