DNA甲基化与食管癌的关系

肿瘤细胞普遍存在DNA甲基化模式的改变，DNA甲基化异常包括原癌基因低甲基化和抑癌基因高甲基化。近年来研究结果表明，在食管癌发生过程中同样存在相关抑癌基因启动子区甲基化导致的基因表达的紊乱。其中由DNA甲基转移酶（DNA methyltransferase，DNMT）和去甲基化酶的活性改变导致的抑癌基因CpG岛超甲基化的研究，已成为食管癌发病机制研究中的热点之一。综述DNA甲基化的特点及其抑制基因转录和表达的分子生物学机制；DNA异常甲基化与食管癌发生发展的关系；食管癌相关肿瘤抑制基因的甲基化谱构成了食管癌独特的表遗传学标志；目前常用的甲基化检测手段及各方法的优缺点；DNA甲基化和去甲基化研究的展望及所需要解决的的问题等。

Relationship between DNA methylation and esophageal carcinoma

It is proved that the malignant tumor cell is closely associated with alteration of genomic DNA methylation pattern, hypomethylation of proto-oncogenes and hypermethylation of anti-oncogenes which result in DNA methylation abnormality. Many recent reserches showed that the hypermethylation of correlative anti-oncogene promoter rigeon plays a significant role in the tumorgenesis and development of esophageal carcinom (EC). The anti-oncogenes CpG islands hypermethylation which is induced by activity of DNA methyltransferase and demethyltransferase has become one of the reserches focuses. This review mainely introduces the molecule bio-mechanism underlying the presence of aberrant DNA methylation in EC; the special epigenetic biomarkers involved in methylated profile of correlative tumor suppresser genes in EC; the advantages and disadvantages of current methods to detect DNA methylation; the study prospect of DNA methylation and some issues to be resolved etc.