[Value of detecting p16 gene methylation in the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate aberrant methylation in the promoter of p16 gene in the sediment cells of pleural effusion and evaluate its clinical significance in the differentiating benign and malignant pleural effusion.


METHODS
Using methylation-specific PCR (MSP), aberrant promoter methylation of p16 gene was detected in the sedimental cells of pleural effusion samples from 66 patients with pleural effusion.


RESULTS
Of the 66 patients with pleural effusion, 36 had a definite diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion, and the rest were confirmed to have benign pleural effusion. The positivity rate of p16 gene promoter methylation was 69.4% (25/36) in malignant pleural effusion and 13.3% (4/30) in benign pleural effusion specimens, showing a significant difference between them (χ² = 20.915, P < 0.01). The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of aberrant promoter methylation of p16 gene in the 36 malignant cases were 69.4%, 86.7% and 77.3%, respectively. The positive expression of p16 gene promoter methylation in malignant pleural effusion was not correlated to the histological type or the pathological grade of the tumor (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Detection of aberrant methylation in p16 gene promoter in the sediment cells of pleural effusion specimens by MSP method allows differentiation between benign and malignant pleural effusion.
Liu
Da-ying
DY
Department of Respiratory Diseases, Liutie Central Hospital, Liuzhou 545007, China. lyb98330@163.com
Zhou
Feng-li
FL
Hu
Zhuo-jun
ZJ
Hu
Hong-bo
HB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D019942:Genes, p16; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity