Abstract

Background and objective: Gene silencing mediated by the aberrant methylation of the promoter region of DNA is involved in the inactivation of genes implicated in various metabolic pathways. Such a gene hypermethylation has become a useful molecular marker for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of cancer patients. Our objective is to analyze the patterns of gene hypermethylation in patients with gynecological tumors. Patients and methods: We selected 115 patients with gynecological cancers: 22 ovarian; 13 endometrial, 11 cervical-uterine and 69 breast cancers. By testing methylation-specific PCR, we studied the methylation status of genes CDNK2A (p16), APC1A, FHIT, CDH1 and hMLH1. Results: The frequencies of gene methylation in genes p16, APC1A, FHIT, hMLH1 and CDH1 were 29.2%, 34%, 60.4%, 10.9% and 79.8%, respectively. 70% of cases showed at least two methylated genes, which means a rate of methylation >0.4. The lowest frequency of methylation was seen in ovarian cancer, while the highest one was observed in endometrial cancer. Conclusions: The results indicate that the aberrant methylation of the promoter region is an important event in carcinogenesis of gynecological tumors and that the pattern of gene methylation is associated with the nature of the tumor. These particular characteristics can deliver relevant information on the major metabolic pathways altered in each tumor type. In addition to complementary studies (ie, loss of expression and/or function), this represents a clinical tool for the proper management of the disease. © 2008 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.