title: Methylation patterns of the IFN-γ gene in cervical cancer tissues.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship between methylation of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) gene and tumorigenesis in cervical cancer tissues, the biopsy specimens of cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) (I-III) patients as well as normal controls were collected and analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The methylation of the IFN-γ gene was verified by using methylation-specific PCR and DNA sequencing analysis, and the expression levels of IFN-γ mRNA were detected using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The methylation rates of the IFN-γ gene were significantly higher in cervical cancer tissues (15/43, 34.9%) than those in CIN (3/23, 13.0% of CIN I; 6/39, 15.4% of CIN II/III) and normal cervical tissues (2/43, 4.7%) (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the mRNA expression of IFN-γ in cervical tumors with methylation (0.71 ± 0.13, n = 8) was lower than that in those without methylation (1.58 ± 0.32, n = 27) (P < 0.05). Likewise, the IFN-γ expression levels in CIN II/III tissues with methylation (0.87 ± 0.16, n = 5) were significantly (P < 0.01) lower compared to those without methylation (2.12 ± 0.27, n = 32).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hypermethylation of IFN-γ gene may be related with tumorigenesis of cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Public Health, Hebei United University, Jianshe Road 57, Tangshan 063000, Hebei, People's Republic of China [2].
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tianjin Union Medicine Centre, 190 Jieyuan Road, Hongqiao District, Tianjin 300121, Tianjin, People's Republic of China [2].
authors.forename: Chunyang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Respiratory Medicine, People's Hospital of Qitaihe City, 37 Shanhu Road, Qitaihe 154600, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China [2].
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Huibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Hebei United University, Jianshe Road 57, Tangshan 063000, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qingzhao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Hebei United University, Jianshe Road 57, Tangshan 063000, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Workers' Hospital of Tangshan, Wenhua road 27, Tangshan 063000, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Workers' Hospital of Tangshan, Wenhua road 27, Tangshan 063000, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ou
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma