title: ESR1 promoter methylation in squamous cell cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Estrogen receptor-alpha is usually expressed in normal cervical tissue, but its presence is decreased or absent in invasive cervical cancer indicating that its expression is lost during development of invasive cervical cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate ESR1 promoter methylation in cervical cancer and correlate methylation status with clinico-pathological parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients treated for cervical cancer were included in the study. Isolation and bisulfite treatment of genomic DNA from cervical cancer tissue was performed by commercially-available kits. Methylated ESR1 promoter sequences were detected by quantitative real-time methylation-specific PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Methylation status did not present differences regarding age at-diagnosis, FIGO stage, grade, BMI and overall survival for all patients, but within the subgroup of non-keratinizing squamous cell cancer methylation status correlated with grading (p=0.047).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methylation of the ESR1 promoter does not seem to be of any prognostic relevance, but is associated with higher tumor grading of cervical cancer patients.
authors: University of Cologne, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kerpener Str. 34, 50931 Cologne, Germany. verena.kirn@uk-koeln.de.
authors: Verena
authors: V
authors: Kirn
authors: Ivanka
authors: I
authors: Zaharieva
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Heublein
authors: Fabinshy
authors: F
authors: Thangarajah
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Friese
authors: Doris
authors: D
authors: Mayr
authors: Udo
authors: U
authors: Jeschke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha
keywords: Cervical cancer; estrogen receptor; methylation; outcome; survival