PEP-19 overexpression in human uterine leiomyoma

Although uterine leiomyomas represent one of the most common neoplasms in adult women, their pathogenesis remains poorly understood. A cDNA microarray analysis was performed to search for candidate genes expressed to a greater degree in leiomyoma compared with matched myometrium. A total of 15 candidate genes was obtained; neuron-specific protein PEP-19 (Purkinje cell protein 4; PCP 4) exhibited a striking difference in expression between leiomyoma and myometrium. Although PEP-19 expression has been reported exclusively in the central nervous system, the present study demonstrated that PEP-19 is also expressed in other human organs, including prostate, kidney and uterus. To clarify the role of PEP-19 in the pathogenesis of leiomyomas, PEP-19 expression was investigated for a series of human leiomyoma, as well as normal myometrium and leiomyosarcoma. PEP-19 mRNA and protein expression were much stronger in leiomyomas compared with normal myometrium, suggesting that PEP-19 might be involved in leiomyoma pathogenesis.     

Patterns of cellular and HPV 16 methylation as biomarkers for cervical neoplasia

Aberrant promoter methylation of biologically relevant genes in cervical cancer and uneven CpG distribution within the human papillomavirus 16 (HPV 16) enhancer region have been reported. Cervical samples and questionnaires from 151 women screened for cervical cancer in Appalachian Ohio were analyzed. Methylation was measured by bisulfite sequencing in candidate gene sites in ESR1, DCC, p16, and LINE1 elements. Among 89 HPV 16-positive women, CpG sites in the E6 promoter and enhancer regions and the L1 region of the HPV 16 genome were measured. Methylation levels were compared by cervical cytology and HPV 16 status. HPV methylation was low regardless of cytology status, however E6 methylation was significantly higher in women with normal cytology. ESR1 and DCC methylation were significantly higher in HPV 16-positive women. Increased methylation at sites in the E6 promoter region was associated with lower odds of abnormal cytology. Increased methylation in candidate genes was associated with higher odds of abnormal cytology, particularly DCC region 2.4, DCC region 2.6, ESR1 region 3.2, and LINE1 site 1.2. HPV 16 genome CpG methylation was low except for the L1 region. In general, lower HPV 16 methylation and higher candidate gene methylation levels were associated with higher odds of abnormal cytology.     

DENV2感染外周血单个核细胞增加TNF-α基因启动子区域CpG位点的甲基化水平

 目的：检测正常人外周血单个核细胞（PBMC）感染2型登革病毒（DENV2）后肿瘤坏死因子α（TNF-α）基因启动子区域CpG位点的甲基化水平。
方法：采用亚硫酸氢盐测序PCR法检测DNA甲基化水平。结果：TNF-α基因启动子区域为-294 bp到+58 bp,覆盖11个散在CpG位点;PCR反应后取PCR产物进行琼脂糖凝胶电泳分析显示,扩增序列大小与理论预测相符合;PBMC感染DENV2 0 h和6 h 在11个甲基化位点中有2个处于甲基化状态,感染12 h有6个甲基化位点甲基化。0 h、6 h和12 h的平均甲基化率分别为103%、121%和255%,且0 h和12 h及6 h和12 h的甲基化率差异有统计学意义。结论：PBMC感染DENV2后会引起TNF-α基因启动子区域的甲基化水平增加。     

Methylation in the p53 promoter is a supplementary route to breast carcinogenesis: correlation between CpG methylation in the p53 promoter and the mutation of the p53 gene in the progression from ductal carcinoma in situ to invasive ductal carcinoma

Aberrant methylation in the CpG sites located in the promoter region of several tumor suppressor genes has been reported in various types of cancers. However, the methylation status of the p53 promoter has not been clearly determined and no information is available on its role in breast cancer. The aim of the study was to determine the presence and timing of the methylation of CpG sites in the p53 promoter, in the progression from ductal carcinoma in situ to invasive cancer. We also explored the correlation between the CpG methylation of the p53 promoter and p53 mutation during the progression of breast cancer. The corresponding lesions of both the invasive and noninvasive types were microdissected in paraffin-embedded tissue of 26 breast carcinomas. Bisulfite-modified DNA sequencing for methylation status in the p53 promoter was carried out, and double-strand DNA sequencing was performed in the promoter region and exons 4 to 9 of the p53 gene. CpG site methylation in the p53 promoter was detected in three cases (11.5%). Two noninvasive and three invasive lesions harbored CpG methylation in the p53 promoter. Methylations in more than one site were observed in three lesions, all of which contained methylation in two sites. The methylated CpG sites were located near the AP1 and YY-1 binding sites and at the YY-1 binding site. The p53 mutation was not found in the lesions where methylation in p53 promoter region was evident. In 16 cases (61.5%), neither methylation nor p53 mutation was detected. We conclude that the methylation in the p53 promoter region is found in the breast cancer irrespective of the status of invasion, and that the hypermethylation in the p53 promoter region is an alternative pathway to tumorigenesis where there is no p53 gene mutation.     

Hypermethylation of the reelin (RELN) promoter in the brain of schizophrenic patients: a preliminary report.

DNA methylation changes could provide a mechanism for DNA plasticity and dynamism for short-term adaptation, enabling a type of cell memory to register cellular history under different environmental conditions. Some environmental insults may also result in pathological methylation with corresponding alteration of gene expression patterns. Evidence from several studies has suggested that in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, mRNA of the reelin gene (RELN), which encodes a protein necessary for neuronal migration, axonal branching, synaptogenesis, and cell signaling, is severely reduced in post-mortem brains. Therefore, we investigated the methylation status of the RELN promoter region in schizophrenic patients and normal controls as a potential mechanism for down regulation of its expression. Ten post-mortem frontal lobe brain samples from male schizophrenic patients and normal controls were obtained from the Harvard Brain Tissue Resources Center. DNA was extracted using a standard phenol-chloroform DNA extraction protocol. To evaluate differences between patients and controls, we applied methylation specific PCR (MSP) using primers localized to CpG islands flanking a potential cyclic AMP response element (CRE) and a stimulating protein-1 (SP1) binding site located in the promoter region. For each sample, DNA extraction, bisulfite treatment, and MSP were independently repeated at least four times to accurately determine the methylation status of the target region. Forty-three PCR trials were performed on the test and control samples. MSP analysis of the RELN promoter revealed an unmethylated signal in all reactions (43 of 43) using DNA from the frontal brain tissue, derived from either the schizophrenic patients or normal controls indicating that this region of the RELN promoter is predominantly unmethylated. However, we observed a distinct methylated signal in 73% of the trials (16 of 22) in schizophrenic patients compared with 24% (5 of 21) of controls. Thus, the hypermethylation of the CpG islands flanking a CRE and SP1 binding site observed at a significantly higher level (t = -5.07, P = 0.001) may provide a mechanism for the decreased RELN expression, frequently observed in post-mortem brains of schizophrenic patients. We also found an inverse relationship between the level of DNA methylation using MSP analysis and the expression of the RELN gene using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Despite the small sample size, these studies indicate that promoter hypermethylation of the RELN gene could be a significant contributor in effecting epigenetic alterations and provides a molecular basis for the RELN gene hypoactivity in schizophrenia. Further studies with a larger sample set would be required to validate these preliminary observations.     

Densely methylated MLH1 promoter correlates with decreased mRNA expression in sporadic colorectal cancers

It has been reported that MLH1 is silenced by promoter methylation, and that this phenomenon is associated with microsatellite instability (MSI) in sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC). To clarify the significance of MLH1 promoter methylation in sporadic CRC, we examined the correlation between methylation status over the entire promoter region and mRNA expression in cases showing high-frequency MSI (MSI-H). MLH1 promoter methylation was analyzed using the bisulfite modification sequencing in 48 MSI-H cases. We also screened for somatic mutation, loss of heterozygosity, and immunohistochemical staining of MLH1. The results showed that methylation patterns could be subdivided into three types: methylation of more than 80% of the CpG sites analyzed (type 1 methylation), methylation of less than 20% (type 2 methylation), and methylation mainly in the region 500 to 921 bases upstream from the translation start site (type 3 methylation). Of the three types, only type 1 methylation correlated with decreased mRNA expression. The frequency of type 1 methylation was significantly higher in cases involving the proximal colon (66.7%, 18/27) compared to that of the distal colon and rectum (23.8%, 5/21, P = 0.004). Immunohistochemical staining of MSI-H cases showed that decreased MLH1 was found in 77.1% (37/48). Of the cases with decreased MLH1, type 1 methylation was present in 59.5% (22/37). Overall, our data suggested that the type 1 methylation pattern may affect MLH1 mRNA expression, such that the majority of MSI-H cases in sporadic CRC, especially proximal colon cancer, exhibited type 1 methylation.     

Clinical implications of coexpression of growth arrest-specific gene 6 and receptor tyrosine kinases Axl and Sky in human uterine leiomyoma

The expression of Gas6, the protein product of the growth arrest-specific gene 6 (gas6), a member of the vitamin K-dependent protein family, and the receptor tyrosine kinases Axl and Sky and their mRNAs in uterine leiomyoma and normal uterine myometrium tissues were investigated by competitive RT-PCR-Southern blot analysis using recombinant RNA and immuno histochemical analysis respectively. There was no significant difference between the histoscores and levels of Sky mRNA in uterine leiomyoma and normal uterine myometrium, although the levels of Gas6 and Axl mRNAs in uterine leiomyoma were significantly higher than in normal uterine myometrium in each case. It is suggested that Gas6 and Axl signal transduction is aberrantly stimulated in uterine leiomyoma, possibly related to its growth.     

肾细胞癌RASSF1A基因启动子区甲基化状况与表达水平研究

目的检测19例肾细胞癌患者癌组织及癌旁组织Ras相关区域家族蛋白1A（RASSFlA）基因启动子区甲基化情况并检测其mRNA表达水平，探索两者之间的联系。方法收集肾细胞癌患者癌组织及相应癌旁组织19份，分别提取其基因组DNA，以甲基化特异性PCR（Methylation special PCR，MSP）法检测RASSFlA基因启动子区甲基化情况。并以QPCR法检测了RASSFlA基因的mRNA表达水平。结果19例中有lO例肾细胞癌患者癌组织存在高甲基化，mRNA表达水平表达降低，二者之间存在显著负相关性（r=-0．8734，P〈0．01）。结论肾细胞癌中RASSFlA基因启动子区存在高甲基化，并抑制该基因的表达。     

软组织平滑肌肉瘤中p16基因的甲基化检测

目的 探讨软组织平滑肌肉瘤（ＬＭＳ）中p16基因ＩＮＫ４Ａ的甲基化状态及其与p16表达的关系。方法 应用ＭＳＰ法检测３８例软组织平滑肌肉瘤,１０例平滑肌瘤及５例正常平滑肌组织中p16基因ＩＮＫ４Ａ的甲基化状态,用免疫组织化学ＳＰ方法检测p16蛋白表达情况。结果 ３８例ＬＭＳ中９例发生异常甲基化,异常甲基化率为２３.7%（９／３８）。其中,７例p16蛋白表达阴性,２例p16蛋白弱阳性,在p16蛋白表达阴性的ＬＭＳ中,异常甲基化率为５０％（７／１４）。结论 p16基因第一外显子启动子区５‘CpG岛的异常甲基化是导致p16基因失活、蛋白缺如的重要基因外机制,并可能参与肿瘤的发生。     

The growth arrest-specific gene CCN5 is deficient in human leiomyomas and inhibits the proliferation and motility of cultured human uterine smooth muscle cells

Uterine fibroids (leiomyomas) are a major women's health problem. Currently, the standard for treatment remains hysterectomy, since no other treatment modalities can reduce both symptoms and recurrence. As leiomyomas are benign neoplasias of smooth muscle cells, we sought to understand the regulation of uterine smooth muscle cell mitogenesis by CCN5, a growth arrest-specific gene in vascular smooth muscle cells which is induced and maintained by heparin treatment. Using autologous human myometrial and leiomyoma smooth muscle cells, we demonstrate that the proliferation and motility of both cell types are inhibited by the overexpression of CCN5. Surprisingly, we show that even though CCN5 is induced by heparin in vascular smooth muscle cells, treatment with heparin does not induce CCN5 expression in human uterine smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, we examine CCN5 mRNA expression in 10 autologous pairs of human myometrial and leiomyoma tissues and determine that CCN5 is down-regulated in 100% of the leiomyoma tissues analysed when compared to their normal myometrial counterparts. Thus, our data strongly suggest that CCN5 may exert an important function in maintaining the normal uterine phenotype and that loss of the anti-proliferative protein CCN5 from normal myometrium may account, at least in part, for tumorigenesis.     

General implications for CpG hot spot mutations: methylation patterns of the human iduronate-2-sulfatase gene locus

The methylation pattern at CpG sites of a housekeeping gene correlates with the likelihood of mutation. Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type II, an X-linked disorder, results from the deficiency of iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS). In these patients, over 35% of independent point mutations at the IDS gene locus were found at CpG sites as transitional events. To gain insight into the relationship between methylation status and CpG hot spot mutations, we investigated patterns of cytosine methylation in the entire IDS gene, except for introns 4-8. Bisulfite genomic sequencing was performed on the normal leukocyte DNA. Our data show that: 1) cytosine methylation at the CpG sites was extensive, except for those present from the promoter region to a portion of intron 3; 2) a sharp boundary of methylated-nonmethylated regions was observed at the 5'-flanking region, whereas a gradual change in methylation was observed in the 2.0-kb segment in the 3'-flanking region; 3) the boundary of the 5'-flanking region contained multiple Sp1 sites and the TATA box; 4) the CpG sites in exons 1 and 2 were hypomethylated and were associated only with rare transitional mutations, while the CpG sites in exon 3 were also hypomethylated, yet were associated with a high rate of transitional mutations; 5) there was no striking sex difference in the methylation patterns in active alleles; and, 6) the methylation in both strands was symmetrical, except at the boundary of methylated-unmethylated regions.     

DNA甲基化在急性冠脉综合征患者CD4+CD28-T细胞CD28表达缺失中的作用

目的 通过研究急性冠脉综合征(acute coronary syndrome,ACS)患者外周血CD4+T细胞CD28 mRNA水平和CD28基因启动子调节序列的甲基化状态,旨在探讨DNA甲基化在ACS患者CD4+CD28-T细胞CD28表达缺失中的作用.方法 免疫磁珠分离CD4+T细胞经逆转录后,实时定量PCR(real time-PCR)技术检测CD4+T细胞CD28mRNA的表达水平,亚硫酸氢钠测序检测CD28基因启动子调节序列的甲基化状态.结果 与正常对照组相比,ACS患者CD4+T细胞CD28mRNA表达水平显著减低,差异具有统计学意义[正常对照组比ACS组:(1.066±0.162)比(0.401±0.069),P<0.05].CD28基因启动子区域的甲基化水平显著增高,差异有统计学意义[正常对照组比ACS组:(24.47±3.17)%比(43.33±1.52)%,P<0.05].CD28基因启动子区域DNA甲基化水平与CD28mRNA表达水平呈显著负相关(P=0.01,r=-0.579).结论 ACS患者CD4+T细胞CD28基因启动子区域高甲基化调控了CD28基因转录抑制.DNA甲基化参与了CD4+CD28-T细胞的形成.     

Enzymatic Regional Methylation Assay: A Novel Method to Quantify Regional CpG Methylation Density

We have developed a novel quantitative method for rapidly assessing the CpG methylation density of a DNA region in mammalian cells. After bisulfite modification of genomic DNA, the region of interest is PCR amplified with primers containing two dam sites (GATC). The purified PCR products are then incubated with 14C-labeled S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) and dam methyltransferase as an internal control to standardize DNA quantity. This is followed by an incubation with 3H-labeled SAM and SssI methyltransferase for methylation quantification. By use of standard mixtures of cell line DNA with a defined methylation status in every assay, the ratio (3H/14C signal) of each sample can be converted into percentage values to assess the methylation density of the amplified sequence. This methylation-sensitive technique, termed ERMA (Enzymatic Regional Methylation Assay) provides several advantages over existing methods used for methylation analysis as it determines an exact measurement of the methylation density of the region studied. We demonstrate a use of this technique in determining the methylation density of the promoter region of the tumor suppressor gene p15INK4B and changes that occur after treatment with demethylating agents.     

非小细胞肺癌中窖蛋白1基因的蛋白表达和甲基化及其意义

目的 检测窖蛋白1(Car-1)在非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)中的蛋白表达以及启动子的甲基化状况,探讨Cav-1基因在NSCLC中的作用及其临床意义.方法 应用免疫组织化学(sP法)和量子点Qd600染色检测123例NSCLC组织、17例良性病变肺组织中Cav一1蛋白表达和亚细胞定位.亚硫酸氢钠处理DNA,甲基化特异性PCR(MSP)检测Cav-1基因启动子区域的甲基化水平.结果 Cav-1蛋白在肺支气管黏膜上皮细胞、肺泡上皮细胞、毛细血管内皮细胞、成纤维细胞、平滑肌细胞的胞质和胞膜高表达.癌旁组织(对照)组和肺癌组中Cav-1蛋白的阳性率分别为17/17、43.1%(53/123),两组间差异有统计学意义(P=0.001);Cav-1蛋白在NSCLC不同的组织学类型(P=0.552)和分化程度(P=0.160)中差异均无统计学意义.Cav-1蛋白阳性率与NSCLC的TNM分期(P=0.001)以及淋巴结转移(P=0.001)均相关.在40例Cav-1蛋白表达为阴性的肺癌组织和12例癌旁肺组织,MSP法均未检测到Cav-1因启动子区域的甲基化.结论 Cav-1蛋白失表达的机制可能与启动子区是否甲基化无关.Cav-1蛋白高表达预示NSCLC恶化进展和高侵袭性.     

DNA methylation regulates the expression of CXCL12 in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts

In the search for specific genes regulated by DNA methylation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we investigated the expression of CXCL12 in synovial fibroblasts (SFs) and the methylation status of its promoter and determined its contribution to the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). DNA was isolated from SFs and methylation was analyzed by bisulfite sequencing and McrBC assay. CXCL12 protein was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before and after treatment with 5-azacytidine. RASFs were transfected with CXCR7-siRNA and stimulated with CXCL12. Expression of MMPs was analyzed by real-time PCR. Basal expression of CXCL12 was higher in RASFs than osteoarthritis (OA) SFs. 5-azacytidine demethylation increased the expression of CXCL12 and reduced the methylation of CpG nucleotides. A lower percentage of CpG methylation was found in the CXCL12 promoter of RASFs compared with OASFs. Overall, we observed a significant correlation in the mRNA expression and the CXCL12 promoter DNA methylation. Stimulation of RASFs with CXCL12 increased the expression of MMPs. CXCR7 but not CXCR4 was expressed and functional in SFs. We show here that RASFs produce more CXCL12 than OASFs due to promoter methylation changes and that stimulation with CXCL12 activates MMPs via CXCR7 in SFs. Thereby we describe an endogenously activated pathway in RASFs, which promotes joint destruction.