N6-甲基腺苷甲基化在射血分数保留性心力衰竭中的作用的研究进展

表观遗传学参与心血管疾病进展的过程。近年研究表明,射血分数保留性心力衰竭(HFpEF)患者的多个基因转录本存在N⁶-甲基腺苷(m⁶A)水平的改变。现介绍m⁶A及其调节因子(甲基化酶、去甲基化酶和甲基化阅读蛋白)与HFpEF的关系,说明m⁶A可能通过影响心肌肥厚与纤维化、细胞自噬、炎症与氧化应激、糖脂代谢参与HFpEF的发生和发展,以期为HFpEF的治疗靶点提供新的研究方向。     

Permanent and plastic epigenesis in neuroendocrine systems

The emerging area of neuroepigenetics has been linked to numerous mental health illnesses. Importantly, a large portion of what we know about early gene × environment interactions comes from examining epigenetic modifications of neuroendocrine systems. This review will highlight how neuroepigenetic mechanisms during brain development program lasting differences in neuroendocrine systems and how other neuroepigenetic processes remain plastic, even within the adult brain. As epigenetic mechanisms can either be stable or plastic, elucidating the mechanisms involved in reversing these processes could aid in understanding how to reverse pathological epigenetic programming.     

反转座子对人类基因组稳定性的影响

反转座子（retrotransposon）是通过RNA为中介反转录成DNA后进行转座的可动元件,可由基因组中一个位点进行复制,插入到基因组其它位点从而整合到基因组中。反转座子在人类基因组中含量丰富,约占45%,可以通过插入、缺失、重组、转导等机制影响局部基因组稳定性,甚至可以引起基因组重排,从而影响基因组稳定性,导致疾病的产生。本文就转座元件的特性及其对基因组稳定性的影响作一综述。     

Promoter methylation of protease-activated receptor (PAR2) is associated with severe clinical phenotypes of ulcerative colitis (UC)

Tryptase acting at protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) contributes to the pathogenesis of Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). DNA methylation has been shown to be an important mechanism in gene silencing. We attempted to clarify the relationship between the promoter methylation of PAR2 and ulcerative colitis (UC). 84 UC patients enrolled in the study. UC patients were classified by disease behavior, severity and extent of disease. For rectal inflammatory mucosal specimens from all the patients, and normal terminal ileum from 23 patients, promoter methylation of PAR2 gene was quantified by digital densitographic analysis following to methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). The mean methylation levels of the PAR2 gene in all 84 subjects was 38.4 ± 19.6%. Although mean methylation levels in rectal inflammatory mucosa, and paired normal terminal ileum did not vary, methylation levels of PAR2 gene was significantly higher in total colitis than rectal colitis (total colitis vs. rectal colitis; 42.9 ± 19.6% vs. 34.5 ± 18.9%, P = 0.046). The higher methylation levels were also associated with Steroid-dependent (P = 0.002) and refractory (P = 0.007) UC. Our data suggest that PAR2 methylation status in rectal mucosa correlates with more severe disease phenotypes of UC.     

Up-regulation of ABCB1/P-glycoprotein by escaping promoter hypermethylation indicates poor prognosis in hematologic malignancy patients with and without bone marrow transplantation

We investigated the correlation between MDR1 promoter methylation status and MDR1 expression in 228 hematologic malignancies patients and 90 healthy controls. High level of MDR1 mRNA correlated to promoter hypomethylation and strongly associated with poor prognosis indicated by 2-year survival rates, poor CR rate (without BMT) and high relapse rate (with BMT). Furthermore, relative luciferase activity of methylated MDR1 at promoter −50 region was significantly higher than that of the unmethylated. In addition, MDR1 in K562 cells elevated significantly after 5-Aza-dC treatment. In summary, MDR1 promoter hypomethylation conferred its up-regulation and indicated poor prognosis in patients with and without BMT.     

一种改良的亚硫酸氢盐修饰微量DNA的甲基化分析方法

目的建立一种改良的亚硫酸氢盐修饰微量DNA的甲基化分析方法。方法应用低熔点琼脂糖包埋不同含量的DNA，进行亚硫酸氢盐修饰，通过MGMT基因甲基化与非甲基化特异PCR的扩增，与传统的亚硫酸氢盐修饰法进行分析比较。结果改良法对于低至15．625ng的DNA修饰均可获得MGMT基因甲基化扩增产物，而传统法对于62．5ng及其以下的DNA修饰难以获得MGMT基因甲基化扩增产物。结论改良的亚硫酸氢盐修饰方法可有效提高甲基化特异PCR的灵敏度，该方法为微量DNA的甲基化分析提供了一种较理想的研究手段。     

食管鳞状细胞癌中MGMT基因异常甲基化与MTHFR C677T基因多态的关系

背景与目的:作为基因失活的主要原因之一,肿瘤相关基因启动子区异常甲基化正日益受到关注,但是在食管癌方面研究尚十分有限.本研究的目的在于探讨DNA损伤修复基因MGMT异常甲基化与食管鳞状细胞痛临床特征和叶酸代谢酶基因MTHFR C677T多态之间的联系.方法:选择2005年1月至2006年3月间新发的、经病理学检查确诊并在江苏省扬中市人民医院进行手术治疗的食管鳞癌患者开展流行病学问卷调查,并采集其外周静脉血标本、癌组织和癌旁正常组织标本.应用甲基化特异性PcR法检测MGMT基因启动子区CpG岛甲基化状态.应用限制性片断长度多态(restriction fragment length polymorphism,RFLP)技术检测叶酸代谢酶基因MTHFR C677T多态.并分析和探讨食管粘膜组织中MGMT基因甲基化分布规律及其与MTHFR C677T基因多态间的联系.结果:125例食管鳞状细胞癌组织中MGMT基因甲基化频率达27.2%,癌旁组织甲基化频率11.2%,10例正常成人健康对照的食管粘膜均呈去甲基化状态.患者淋巴结转移与否与DNA甲基化频率有关,存在淋巴结转移的患者癌组织中MGMT基因甲基化频率(37.3%)高于无淋巴结转移的患者(18.2%).患者性别、年龄、吸烟、饮酒、饮茶等因素与DNA异常甲基化之间的相关性无统计学意义(P>0.05).在调整了相关潜在混杂因素后,携带MTHFR变异基因型CT和TT者食管癌组织中MGMT基因甲基化频率增高,与野生基因型CC比较,比值比OR分别为3.34(95%Cl:1.07～10.39)和3.83(95%CI:1.13～12.94).结论:食管鳞状细胞癌中MGMT基因启动子区异常甲基化与MTHFR基因多态有关,携带MTHFRC677基因变异基因型CT与TT的癌组织中MGMT基因异常甲基化频率更高.     

Methylated DNA sequences for early cancer detection,molecular classification and chemotherapy response prediction

Molecular studies of many types of cancer have revealed that clinically evident tumours carry multiple genetic and epigenetic abnormalities, including DNA sequence alterations, chromosome copy number changes and aberrant promoter hypermethylation. Together, these aberrant changes result in the activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumour-suppressor genes (TSG). In many cases these abnormalities can be found in premalignant lesions and even in histological normal adjacent cells. Many tumour types are difficult to detect early and are frequently resistant to available chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, the early detection, chemoprevention and the design of new therapeutic strategies based on the increased understanding of cancer molecular changes are one of the great challenges nowadays. Insertions of a methyl group at the fifth carbon of cytosines within the dinucleotide 5'- CpG-3' is the best studied epigenetic mechanism. DNA methylation acts together with others mechanisms like histone modification, chromatin remodelling and microRNAs to mould the DNA structure according to the functional state required. The aberrant methylation of the CpG islands located at the promoter region of specific genes is a common and early event involved in cancer development. Thus, hypermethylated DNA sequences from tumours are one of the most promising markers for early detection screenings as well as tumour classification and chemotherapy response in many types of cancer.     

肝细胞癌多基因甲基化异常及其临床意义

目的 探讨肝细胞癌中多基因甲基化异常的发生率,研究肝细胞癌中多基因甲基化异常的临床意义.方法 收集60例肝细胞癌及相应的癌旁组织、16例肝炎后肝硬化组织、5例慢性肝炎和5例正常肝组织,筛选消化道肿瘤中APC、RASSF1A、p16、GSTP1、MGMT、DAPK、SOCS-1和RIZ18个甲基化异常频率高的肿瘤抑制基因,应用甲基化特异件聚合酶链反应(MSP)检测8个肿瘤抑制基因在所有标本中的甲基化状态.比较不同基因甲基化与非甲基化肝细胞癌患者的临床病理特征和生存情况.结果 肝细胞癌组织中,RASSF1A、APC、GSTP1、p16、RIZ1和MGMT基因的甲基化率分别为95.0%、90.0%、73.3%、65.0%、61.6%和60.0%,均高于相应的癌旁组织(均P＜0.05);癌旁组织中,MGMT、GSTP1和RIZ1基因的甲基化率分别为41.6%、40.0%和25.0%,均高于肝硬化组织(均P＜0.05).p16基因甲基化的肝细胞癌患者的平均年龄大于非甲基化者;巨块性肝细胞癌中,MGMT基因甲基化者的比例高于非甲基化者;MGMT基基甲基化者的无瘤生存期短于非甲基化者.结论 不同基因在肝细胞癌、癌旁和肝硬化组织中的甲皋化率差异显示了肝细胞癌发生中渐进的表观遗传学改变;GSTP1、RIZ1和MGMT基因的甲基化异常具有肿瘤风险评估和早期诊断价值,而MGMT基因的甲基化异常同时具有预后评估价值.