title: Methylation of the Tumor Suppressor Gene RUNX3 in Human Gastric Carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  RUNX3 (PEBP2alphaC/CBFA3/AML2) is a novel tumor suppressor gene in the human gastric carcinoma. The aims of this study were to determine the methylation of RUNX3 promoter and the association between RUNX3 methylation and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with gastric carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-nine patients with gastric carcinoma were studied prospectively from April 2005 to May 2007. The methylations of RUNX3 promoter on the gastric carcinoma specimens and the corresponding nonneoplastic mucosa were evaluated by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparison of the results with the clinicopathological characteristics identified RUNX3 monoallelic methylation in 32.9% (26/79) of the gastric carcinoma patients and in 11.4% (9/79) of those with nonneoplastic mucosa (p=0.053). The monoallelic methylated gastric carcinoma specimens predominantly consisted of well- and moderately differentiated carcinomas (44.7%), with the unmethylated group constituting 22.0% of them (p=0.031). Among the 48 patients (60.8%) who underwent gastrectomy, there was no correlation between the two groups with regard to Lauren's classification (p=0.235), depth of invasion (p=0.990), nodal status (p=0.601), stage (p=0.900), lymphatic invasion (p=0.537), and vascular invasion (p=0.815).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methylation of the tumor suppressor gene RUNX3 might be one of the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of gastric carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Institute, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Ki-Nam
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Yang-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Seong-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung-Ae
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Kwon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoo