title: Detection of vimentin (VIM) methylation in the serum of colorectal cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Detection of colorectal cancer using serum assay of vimentin methylation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We attempted to detect vimentin methylation in the serum of colorectal cancer patients using quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 44 colorectal cancer patients, 4 (9%) exhibited methylation of the vimentin gene in their serum DNA by qMSP. Interestingly, methylation was significantly found in the serum of patients with liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, and distant metastasis (p = 0.026, p = 0.0029 and p = 0.0063, respectively), suggesting that vimentin methylation in serum might be detected more frequently in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high sensitivity of qMSP makes it possible to detect smaller amounts of tumor DNA in the serum, suggesting that qMSP can be used as a screening method for cancer.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterological Surgery, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, 1-30 Fujigaoka, Aoba-ku, Yokohama 227-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shirahata
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakuraba
authors.forename: Tetsuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: Gaku
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kigawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hibi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014746:Vimentin / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D014746:Vimentin