肺癌患者外周血血浆中p16基因异常甲基化的检测

目的 分析肺癌患者外周血血浆中p16基因启动子区异常甲基化发生情况,探讨血浆中p16基因异常改变作为肺癌临床辅助诊断分子生物学标志物的可能性。方法 利用半巢式甲基化特异性PCR技术,检测了137例肺癌患者血浆和112例相对应肿瘤组织DNA p16基因的异常甲基化情况。结果 在血浆和肿瘤组织中的p16基因甲基化检出率分别为75．2％和80．4％;其中鳞癌、腺癌、腺鳞癌和小细胞肺癌患者血浆标本的阳性率分别为77．9％,65．1％,75．1％和91．7％。血浆DNAp16基因甲基化仅在肿瘤组织存在同样甲基化的病例中被检出。血浆和肿瘤组织中,p16基因的甲基化异常改变与肿瘤的分期、分型无明显相关性。结论 分析血浆DNA的p16基因异常甲基化有可能成为辅助肺癌诊断的有效方法之一。     

痰标本p16和MGMT基因甲基化对肺癌的诊断价值

目的：分析肺癌患者痰标本中p16和MGMT基因启动子区甲基化的改变情况,评价该指标作为肺癌辅助诊断分子标志物的价值。方法：运用甲基化特异性PCR技术,检测77例原发性肺癌患者痰标本和部分对应肿瘤组织(53例),以及30例正常对照者痰标本中p16和MGMT基因启动子区域的甲基化改变。结果：49例(63．6%)肺癌患者痰标本中检测到了pi6基因异常甲基化,34例(44．2%)检测到了MGMT基因异常甲基化,77例患者痰标本中2个基因中至少有1个基因出现甲基化为64例(83．1%),对肿瘤的检出灵敏度较高。长期吸烟史是影响肺鳞状细胞癌痰标本p16(P=0．001)基因启动子区甲基化的因素。随TNM分期增高,肺鳞状细胞癌患者痰标本中p16基因甲基化比例增高(P=0．021)；随TNM分期增高,肺腺癌患者痰标本MGMT基因甲基化比例增高(P=0．023)。对照组正常人痰液标本未发现p16和MGMT基因启动子区甲基化。结论：痰标本中p16和MGMT基因甲基化是临床肺癌辅助诊断的有效生物标志物之一。     

甲基化特异性PCR检测肺癌p16基因甲基化及其临床意义

目的:探讨甲基化特异性聚合酶链反应(methylation-specific PCR,MSPCR)在肺癌临床诊断中的应用价值.方法:选取56例肺部疾病住院患者手术切除的病变肺组织和相应的支气管肺泡灌洗液(BALF)及痰标本,其中32例为肺癌,24例为良性肺部疾病.标本经一般处理,PCR扩增后,产物经电泳EB染色,紫外灯下观察.结果:32例肺癌组织标本中,14例(43.8%)在p16基因启动子区域呈现异常甲基化,其中9例(64.3%)在相应的BALF中检测出甲基化存在,5例(35.8%)在相应的痰标本中也检测出甲基化存在.24例良性肺部疾病,其中肺囊肿10例,肺结核14例,手术切除标本和BALF及痰标本中均未检测出p16基因甲基化存在.结论:MSPCR技术对肺癌患者BALF及痰标本中的异常甲基化检测具有高度特异性,是一项有潜力的肺癌早期诊断新技术.     

甲基化特异性PCR检测肺癌p16基因甲基化及其临床意义

目的：探讨甲基化特异性聚合酶链反应(methylation—specific PCR，MSPCR)在肺癌临床诊断中的应用价值。方法：选取56例肺部疾病住院患者手术切除的病变肺组织和相应的支气管肺泡灌洗液(BALF)及痰标本，其中32例为肺癌．24例为良性肺部疾病。标本经一般处理，PCR扩增后，产物经电泳EB染色，紫外灯下观察。结果：32例肺癌组织标本中，14例(43．8％)在p16基因启动子区域呈现异常甲基化，其中9例(643％)在相应的BALF中检测出甲基化存在。5例(35．8％)在相应的痰标本中也检测出甲基化存在。24例良性肺部疾病，其中肺囊肿10例，肺结核14例。手术切除标本和BALF及痰标本中均未检测出p16基因甲基化存在。结论：MSPCR技术对肺癌患者BALF及痰标本中的异常甲基化检测具有高度特异性，是一项有潜力的肺癌早期诊断新技术。     

97.非小细胞肺癌病人血浆p16基因异常甲基化的检测

肺癌高死亡率的根本原因在于早期诊断的困难。现代分子肿瘤学的研究进展揭示了在肺支气管上皮癌变过程中发生的多种分子水平异常,使得我们有可能将外周血等容易取得的微创性样品中的分子病理学改变作为肺癌早期诊断的辅助指标。通过以往的研究我们发现,一条等位基因缺失而另一条等位基因异常高甲基化是肺癌组织中抑癌基因p16失活的重要机制之一。在这项研究中,我们利用从非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）病人外周血血浆中提取的DNA分析了P16基因的甲基化状态。采用改进的甲基化特异性PCR（methylation-specific PCR,MSP）的方法,95例NSCLC病人的血浆DNA被检测,其中肺鳞癌59例,肺腺癌36例。作为对照,75例相应的肿瘤组织被同时分析。结果显示,p16基因启动子区高甲基化状态的检出率在血浆中为72．6%（69／95）,而在相应的肺癌组织中为74．7％（56／75）。值得注意的是,血浆DNA p16基因异常甲基化只是从那些肿瘤组织DNA表现p16基因高甲基化的病例中被检出——二者存在极好的符合率。我们还发现,在Ⅰ期病人中,血浆p16基因异常高甲基化在肺鳞癌(82.4%）比在肺腺癌（33.3％）中要高得多（P＜0.005）。从而提示,血浆p16基因异常甲基化有可能成为一项早期发现非小细胞肺癌（尤其是鳞癌）的、非常重要的分子病理学指标。而血浆DNA的MSP则是检测这一指标的敏感、可靠并且便于操作的技术之一,成为一种可以应用于人群筛查的方法。     

非小细胞肺癌病人血浆p16基因异常甲基化的检测

肺癌高死亡率的根本原因在于早期诊断的困难。现代分子肿瘤学的研究进展揭示了在肺支气管上皮癌变过程中发生的多种分子水平异常,使得我们有可能将外周血等容易取得的微创性样品中的分子病理学改变作为肺癌早期诊断的辅助指标。通过以往的研究我们发现,一条等位基因缺失而另一条等位基因异常高甲基化是肺癌组织中抑癌基因p16失活的重要机制之一。在这项研究中,我们利用从非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)病人外周血血浆中提取的DNA分析了P16基因的甲基化状态。采用改进的甲基化特异性PCR（methylation-specific PCR,MSP)的方法,95例NSCLC病人的血浆DNA被检测,其中肺鳞癌59例,肺腺癌36例。作为对照,75例相应的肿瘤组织被同时分析。结果显示,p16基因启动子区高甲基化状态的检出率在血浆中为72．6％（69／95）,而在相应的肺癌组织中为74．7％（56／75）。值得注意的是,血浆DNAp16基因异常甲基化只是从那些肿瘤组织DNA表现p16基因高甲基化的病例中被检出－二者存在极好的符合率。我们还发现,在Ⅰ期病人中,血浆p16基因异常高甲基化在肺鳞癌（82．4％）,比在肺腺癌（33．3％）中要高得多（P＜0．005）。从而提示,血浆p16基因异常甲基化有可能成为一项早期发现非小细胞肺癌（尤其是鳞癌）的、非常重要的分子病理学指标。而血浆DNA的MSP则是检测这一指标的敏感、可靠并且便于操作的技术之一,成为一种可以应用于人群筛查的方法。     

非小细胞肺癌p16/CDKN2基因失活的研究

目的：分析中国人非小细胞肺癌中p16／CDKN2基因失活的情况,探讨该基因在肺癌发生中的作用。方法：选取与p16基因紧密连锁的D9S1748位点,对17例临床切除的原发性肺癌标本进行微卫星不稳定性分析,用甲基化特异性PCR（methylation-specific PCR,MSP)检测p16基因启动子区CpG岛甲基化状况,用免疫组织化学法检测P16蛋白表达情况。结果：微卫星不稳定性分析结果表明,在13例D9S1748位点存在多态性的肿瘤DNA中有9例（69．2％）发生了杂合性缺失（loss of heterozygosity,LOH)。MSP的结果显示,有70．6％（12／17）的肿瘤组织存在p16启动子区的异常高基甲基。在本研究中,82．4％（14／17）的肿瘤组织可以检测出一种或两种p16基因的异常改变。对此17例肿瘤标本进行的免疫组织化学分析显示,有13例P16蛋白表达阴性,其中92．3％（12／13）存在一种或两种p16基因的异常改变。免疫组化结果与p16基因分子遗传学改变情况基本吻合。结论：作为一种抑癌基因,p16在多种肿瘤组织中都有异常改变。我们的研究表明,p16基因失表达是非小细胞肺癌中较常见的事件;在这里,杂合性缺失和异常甲基化引起的基因表达沉默为其主要失活机制。     

非小细胞肺癌病人痰标本p16和MGMT基因的异常甲基化

痰脱落细胞学检查以其方例、无创的特点成为目前诊断肺癌的最基本手段之一,然而它的敏感性比较差。近年来分子肿瘤学的理论和技术进展为我们提供了利用分子病理学标志物发现早期肺癌的可能。研究表明,某些基因的异常甲基化是肺癌中常见的分子水平改变;其包括p16INK4a(p16)和O^6甲基鸟嘌呤－DNA甲基转移酶（O^6-methyl-guanine-DNA methyltransferase,MGMT)。在这项研究中,我们从肺癌病人的痰标本脱落细胞中分离制备DNA,检测了p16和MGMT这两个基因的启动子区的甲基化状态。采用甲基化特异性PCR（methylation-specific PCR,MSP)的方法,我们对71例非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)病的痰标本进行了分析。所有被检NSCLC病人均有明确的组织病理学诊断,其中,肺鳞癌39例,肺腺癌25例,腺鳞癌7例。这71例病人的痰标本仅有31例（43．6％）被细胞学检查诊断为癌。我们的分析资料显示：在71例痰标本中p16基因的高甲基化检出率为83．1％（59／71）,MGMT的高甲基化检出率为59．2％（42／71）。在被测痰细胞DNA中,这两个基因（其中一个或两者）的启动子区异常甲基化的综合检出率高达90．1％（64／71）;而且与相应肿瘤组织中这两个基因的甲基化状态存在很好的符合率。这项研究结果表明,利用MSP技术检查痰脱落细胞DNA中p16和MGMT两基因的异常甲基化是一项敏感、无创、易行的方法。它将有助于非小细胞肺癌早期发现,以及肺癌高危人群的筛查。     

96.非小细胞肺癌病人痰标本p16和MGMT基因的异常甲基化

痰脱落细胞学检查以其方便、无创的特点成为目前诊断肺癌的最基本手段之一,然而它的敏感性比较差。近年来分子肿瘤学的理论和技术进展为我们提供了利用分子病理学标志物发现早期肺癌的可能。研究表明,某些基因的异常甲基化是肺癌中常见的分子水平改变;其中包括p16INK4a(p16)和O6甲基鸟嘌呤-DNA甲基转移酶（O6-methyl-guanine-DNA methyltransferase,MGMT)。在这项研究中,我们从肺癌病人的痰标本脱落细胞中分离制备DNA,检测了p16和MGMT这两个基因的启动子区的甲基化状态。采用甲基化特异性PCR（methylation-specific PCR,MSP)的方法,我们对71例非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC）病人的痰标本进行了分析。所有被检NSCLC病人均有明确的组织病理学诊断,其中,肺鳞癌39例,肺腺癌25例,腺鳞癌7例。这71例病人的痰标本仅有31例（43.6％）被细胞学检查诊断为癌。我们的分析资料显示：在71例痰标本中p16基因的高甲基化检出率为83．1％（59/71）,MGMT的高甲基化检出率为59.2％（42／71）。在被测痰细胞DNA中,这两个基因（其中一个或两者）的启动子区异常甲基化的综合检出率高达90．1%（64／71）;而且与相应肿瘤组织中这两个基因的甲基化状态存在很好的符合率。这顶研究结果表明,利用MSP技术检查痰脱落细胞DNA中p16和MGMT两基因的异常甲基化是一项敏感、无创、易行的方法。它将有助于非小细胞肺癌早期发现,以及肺癌高危人群的筛查。     

血浆中检测FHIT、p16、MGMT和RASSF1A基因甲基化在肺癌诊断中的价值

目的:探讨血浆中脆性组氨酸三连体基因(fragile histidine triad,FHIT)、p16基因、O6-甲基鸟嘌呤-DNA甲基转移酶基因(O6-methyl-guanine-DNA methyltransferase,MGMT)及信号转导通路基因(rasassociation domain family1A,RASSF1A)等抑癌基因启动子异常甲基化及其联合检测在肺癌筛查及早期诊断中的价值。方法:采用甲基化特异性PCR(methylation specifi c PCR,MSP)法,检测53例肺癌组织和对应的血浆标本以及24例肺良性病变组织中FHIT、p16、MGMT和RASSF1A4种基因启动子区甲基化状态。结果:肺癌组织中FHIT、p16、MGMT和RASSF1A基因启动子区甲基化检出率分别为39.6%(21/53)、49.1%(26/53)、35.8%(19/53)和18.9%(10/53);其对应的血浆标本中这4个基因的甲基化检出率分别为35.8%(19/53)、49.1%(26/53)、28.3%(15/53)和17.0%(9/53),两组标本甲基化检出率存在着较好的一致性(P>0.05)。24例肺良性病变组织标本和血浆标本中分别有同1例(0.04%)出现p16基因甲基化,与肺癌组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。4项指标联合检测可显著提高肺癌检测的敏感度(73.6%)和特异度(95.8%)。p16基因在血浆中甲基化检出率与患者吸烟指数有明显相关性(P<0.05)。结论:血浆中多个肺癌相关基因甲基化联合检测有望成为肺癌筛查、早期诊断简便有效的指标。     

Hypermethylation of p16INK4a in Chinese lung cancer patients: biological and clinical implications

Promoter hypermethylation of the p16INK4a gene was investigated in 111 cases of tumor tissue, as well as in 136 circulating plasma and 95 sputum samples from Chinese patients with primary lung cancer, using a modified protocol of semi-nested methylation-specific-PCR (MSP). The results showed hypermethylated p16 sequence in 80.2% of tumor tissues and frequencies of 75.7 and 74.7% in plasma and sputum specimens, respectively. Among the patients, 50 cases of matched plasma, sputum and tumor tissue from the same individual were analyzed. Of these, hypermethylation of the p16 promoter was detected in 84.0% of the tumor tissues, with frequencies of 72.0 and 76.0% in the corresponding plasma and sputum, respectively. Notably, only patients whose tumor tissue showed hypermethylation of p16 exhibited the same aberrant methylation in their sputum and/or plasma. Hypermethylation of p16 in sputum and plasma samples may provide a more sensitive approach to molecular diagnosis of lung cancer than relying on conventional cytological analysis. Our data show that a combination of cytological analysis of sputum and examination of p16 hypermethylation in sputum and plasma identified 92.0% (46/50) of the lung cancer patients studied, offering an effective means of early detection of lung cancer.     

Detection of p16 hypermethylation in circulating plasma DNA of non-small cell lung cancer patients

We detected tumor-associated aberrant hypermethylation of the p16 gene in plasma DNA from 105 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (65 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 40 adenocarcinoma (ADC)) and 92 matched tumor DNA samples, using a modified semi-nested methylation-specific PCR (MSP). This technique increased the sensibility of detecting p16 hypermethylation from DNA samples in varying stages. p16 hypermethylation was present in 73.3% (77/105) of the plasma samples, and 79.3% (73/92) of the tumor samples. Among those cases with methylated p16 sequence in tumor samples, 87.7% (64/73) also demonstrated this epigenetic alteration in the corresponding plasma DNA. Only patients whose tumor cells had hypermethylated p16 gene exhibited aberrant methylation in their plasma samples. Regarding different clinical stages of SCC and ADC, the frequencies of p16 hypermethylation in plasma DNA were nearly the same as those in corresponding tumors, except for stage I ADC. Our study indicated that aberrant methylation of p16 may be an excellent biomarker for early diagnosis and follow-up of NSCLC patients, and MSP is a reliable method for these purposes.     

Methylation profile in tumor and sputum samples of lung cancer patients detected by spiral computed tomography: a nested case-control study

We evaluated the aberrant promoter methylation profile of a panel of 3 genes in DNA from tumor and sputum samples, in view of a complementary approach to spiral computed tomography (CT) for early diagnosis of lung cancer. The aberrant promoter methylation of RARbeta2, p16(INK4A) and RASSF1A genes was evaluated by methylation-specific PCR in tumor samples of 29 CT-detected lung cancer patients, of which 18 had tumor-sputum pairs available for the analysis, and in the sputum samples from 112 cancer-free heavy smokers enrolled in a spiral CT trial. In tumor samples from 29 spiral CT-detected patients, promoter hypermethylation was identified in 19/29 (65.5%) cases for RARbeta2, 12/29 (41.4%) for p16(INK4A) and 15/29 (51.7%) for RASSF1A. Twenty-three of twenty-nine (79.3%) samples of the tumors exhibited methylation in at least 1 gene. In the sputum samples of 18 patients, methylation was detected in 8/18 (44.4%) for RARbeta2 and 1/18 (5%) for both RASSF1A and p16(INK4A). At least 1 gene was methylated in 9/18 (50%) sputum samples. Promoter hypermethylation in sputum from 112 cancer-free smokers was observed in 58/112 (51.7%) for RARbeta2 and 20/112 (17.8%) for p16, whereas methylation of the RASSF1A gene was found in only 1/112 (0.9%) sputum sample. Our study indicates that a high frequency of hypermethylation for RARbeta2, p16(INK4A) and RASSF1A promoters is present in spiral CT-detected tumors, whereas promoter hypermethylation of this panel of genes in uninduced sputum has a limited diagnostic value in early lung cancer detection.     

肺癌患者MPDZ基因异常甲基化的研究

目的:探讨肺癌组织以及相应的外周血浆和痰液中MPDZ基因异常甲基化的情况,以及其在肺癌诊断中的作用。方法:采用甲基化特异性PCR(MSP)方法检测49例肺癌组织、20例癌旁正常组织以及相应的外周血浆和痰液中MPDZ基因甲基化发生情况。结果:49例肺癌组织中MPDZ基因甲基化发生率为67%(33/49),癌旁正常组织中的MPDZ基因甲基化发生率为0(0/20)(P=0.00)。MPDZ基因甲基化检出率与临床分期相关(P=0.039),但与患者的年龄、性别、是否吸烟、肿瘤的分化程度以及肿瘤的病理分类无显著相关(P>0.05)。33例癌组织MPDZ基因发生了甲基化的肺癌患者相应血浆的DNA标本中有25例发生了甲基化,甲基化检出率为76%(25/33);痰液标本中有18例发生了甲基化,甲基化检出率为55%(18/33)。16例癌组织MPDZ基因未甲基化的肺癌患者其对应的血浆和痰液标本未检出该基因甲基化。提示痰液和血浆标本中MPDZ基因甲基化能较好地反映肿瘤组织中该基因的甲基化状况。结论:MPDZ基因在肺癌患者的癌组织中、血浆中及痰液中均有较高比例甲基化检出率,提示MPDZ基因甲基化可能在肺癌的诊断中具有一定的价值。     

宫颈癌中p16基因启动子异常甲基化的检测

目的:探讨宫颈癌组织及外周血浆中p16基因启动子异常甲基化的状况及其在宫颈癌诊断中的价值.方法:用甲基化特异性PCR技术对宫颈癌组织,正常宫颈组织及相对应血浆中p16基因进行甲基化的检测.结果:45例宫颈癌组织中p16基因异常甲基化率为33.3％(15/45),相对应血浆中p16基因甲基化的检出率为20％(9/45),而正常对照组织未检出甲基化.血浆中甲基化的改变与宫颈癌组织甲基化状态显著相关(P＜0.05).p16基因甲基化发生率与年龄、病理分级、临床分期之间无统计学相关性(P＞0.05).结论:p16基因CpG岛甲基化是宫颈癌发生的高频事件,其甲基化检测在宫颈癌早期诊断中有一定的应用价值.     

Hypermethylation of p16(INK4a) and p15(INK4b) genes in non-small cell lung cancer.

Hypermethylation of CpG island is a common mechanism by which tumor suppressor genes are inactivated. The tumor suppressor genes p16(INK4a) and p15(INK4b) are important components of the cell cycles. We have studied the feasibility of detecting tumor-associated aberrant p16(INK4a) and p15(INK4b) methylation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using methylation-specific PCR. We found a high frequency of hypermethylation of the p16(INK4a) gene in 17 of 45 cases of NSCLC. In this study, there was no difference between the clinicopathological features or overall survival of patients with and without p16(INK4a) methylation. On the other hand, p15(INK4b) promoter hypermethylation is rare (5/45) in lung cancer and occurs in association with p16(INK4a) methylation. The overall survival of patients with p15(INK4b) methylation was markedly shortened in this series. We also analyzed cells in bronchial washings, and p16(INK4a) methylation was detected in 4 of 17 cases of NSCLC. Moreover, 1 of 10 plasma samples from patients with NSCLC was positive for p16(INK4a) methylation. Our results suggest a possible prognostic role of p15(INK4b) methylation in NSCLC, and that the detection of aberrant p16(INK4a) methylation in both bronchial washings and plasma may be useful for cancer diagnosis.     

Application of a methylation gene panel by quantitative PCR for lung cancers

Detection of lung cancer at early stages could potentially increase survival rates. One promising approach is the application of suitable lung cancer-specific biomarkers to specimens obtained by non-invasive methods. Thus far, clinically useful biomarkers that have high sensitivity have proven elusive. Certain genes, which are involved in cellular pathways such as signal transduction, apoptosis, cell to cell communication, cell cycles and cytokine signaling are down-regulated in cancers and may be considered as potential tumor suppressor genes. Aberrant promoter hypermethylation is a major mechanism for silencing tumor suppressor genes in many kinds of human cancers. Using quantitative real time PCR, we tested 11 genes (3-OST-2, RASSF1A, DcR1, DcR2, P16, DAPK, APC, ECAD, HCAD, SOCS1, SOCS3) for levels of methylation within their promoter sequences in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), adjacent non-malignant lung tissues, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from cancer free patients, in sputum of cancer patients and controls. Of all the 11 genes tested 3-OST-2 showed the highest levels of promoter methylation in tumors combined with lowest levels of promoter methylation in control tissues. 3-OST-2 followed by, RASSF1A showed increased levels of methylation with advanced tumor stage (P<0.05). Thus, quantitative analysis of 3-OST-2 and RASSF1A methylation appears to be a promising biomarker assay for NSCLC and should be further explored in a clinical study. Our preliminary data on the analysis of sputum DNA specimens from cancer patients further support these observations.     

Predicting hepatocellular carcinoma by detection of aberrant promoter methylation in serum DNA.

PURPOSE: Most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Hypermethylation of CpG islands in promoter regions is now recognized as an important early event in carcinogenesis and detection of methylated DNA has been suggested as a potential biomarker for early detection of cancer. There are no studies on epigenetic changes in samples from HCC patients before diagnosis. We explored the possible diagnostic value of aberrant promoter hypermethylation of three tumor suppressor genes in serum DNA for early detection of HCC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Aberrant promoter hypermethylation was investigated in DNA isolated from the serum of 50 HCC patients who provided repeated blood samples before diagnosis and 50 controls enrolled in a cancer screen program in Taiwan. Methylation-specific PCR was used to determine the methylation status of p16, p15, and ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A). RESULTS: Among cases, aberrant methylation was found in serum DNA 1 to 9 years before clinical HCC diagnosis. RASSF1A had the highest frequency of hypermethylation with 35 (70%) cases having at least one positive sample compared with 22 (44%) for p16 and 12 (22%) for p15. Six subjects were hypermethylation negative for all three genes. For the 50 controls, promoter hypermethylation was found in three and two subjects for RASSF1A and p16, respectively; none had methylation of p15. A receiver operating characteristic curve that included clinical risk factors (age, HBsAg status, anti-hepatitis C virus status, smoking, and alcohol status) and hypermethylation biomarkers gave an overall predictive accuracy of 89% with sensitivity and specificity 84% and 94%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of epigenetic changes on RASSF1A, p16, and p15 tumor suppressor genes in serum DNA may be a valuable biomarkers for early detection in populations at high risk of HCC.