title: Aberrant methylation of the Vimentin gene in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, it was shown that the Vimentin gene, usually activated in mesenchymal cells, was highly methylated in colorectal carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The methylation status of the Vimentin gene was examined in primary carcinomas and the corresponding normal tissues derived from 43 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP) and the correlation between the methylation status and the clinicopathological findings was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aberrant methylation of the Vimentin gene was detected in 24 out of the 43 (56%) primary HCC. This result suggested that the aberrant methylation of the Vimentin gene was frequent in HCC. Subsequently, clinicopathological data were correlated with the methylation status. A significant difference was observed in the value of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (p=0.045), maximal tumor size (p=0.048) and TNM stage (p=0.043) between the methylation-positive and -negative cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aberrant methylation of Vimetin might be an early event in the course of hepatocarcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterological Surgery, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitamura
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: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizukami
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: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sanada
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hibi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D014746:Vimentin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins