Carcinogenesis, Teratogenesis & Mutagenesis

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Promoter methylation status and expression of NDRG2 gene in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma

MA Hong-liang1 ,HAN Li-jie2,GUO Wei3,GUO Yan-li3,SHEN Su-peng3,KUANG Gang3,*   

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011
  • Received:2014-02-18 Revised:2014-06-19 Online:2014-07-30 Published:2014-07-30

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the promoter methylation status of N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) and its correlation with mRNA and protein expressions of the gene in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA). METHODS:MSP method was used to measured the promoter methylation status of NDRG2 in 97 GCA tumor tissues and corresponding normal tissues. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to examine mRNA and protein expression,respectively,of NDRG2 in 97 GCA tumor tissues and corresponding normal tissues. RESULTS:The promoter methylation frequency of NDRG2 in GCA tumor tissues (49.5%) was significantly increased in comparison to that in corresponding normal tissues (5.1%) (P<0.05). The methylation frequency of NDRG2 in stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in stages Ⅰ and Ⅱ tumor tissues. The methylation frequency of NDRG2 in poorly differentiated group was significantly higher than that in well and moderately differentiated group (P<0.05). NDRG2 mRNA expression in tumor tissues was significantly lower than that in corresponding normal tissues (P<0.05). Positive protein expression of NDRG2 in tumor tissues (44.3%,43/97) was significantly lower than that in corresponding normal tissues (94.8%,92/97) (P<0.01). The protein expression of NDRG2 was inversely correlated with its promoter methylation status in GCA tissues. CONCLUSION:Promoter hypermethylation of NDRG2 may be one of the mechanisms that lead to gene inactivation in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma.

Key words: cardia, adenocarcinoma, N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2, methylation, expression