title: Epigenetic activation of immune genes in cervical cancer.
abstract: Immune system provides us protection from infectious pathogens and tumors formation during lifetime. Cervical cancer (CC), and its cause, human papillomavirus (HPV) are both challenges for the immune system. We present here evidence of epigenetic activation of immune system genes in CC. Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450K BeadChip identified genes, which were all significantly hypomethylated in CC tissue versus normal tissue. The GeneMANIA computer program identified a tight network between those genes. The most strongly correlated genes based on their function are immune effectors' process (AIM2, BST2, BTN3A3, and IL12RB1) and response to virus related genes (AIM2, BST2, and IL12RB1). Thus, activation of those genes through demethylation is probably triggered by HPV oncogenes. In conclusion, the immune system of women who do not develop CC is probably activated earlier through DNA demethylation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Medicine, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: nmilutin@irb.hr.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Milutin Gašperov
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sanja A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Farkas
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biosciences, Unit of Clinical Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Torbjörn K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Medicine, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grce
mesh_terms: D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000276:immunology*; D052138:Genes, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology