Inactivation of miR-34a by aberrant CpG methylation in Kazakh patients with esophageal carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive tumor with dismal prognosis and high incidence and mortality in Kazakh population. MiR-34a, a direct p53 target gene, possesses tumor-suppressive properties as they mediate apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and senescence. The reduced expression of miR-34a by methylation in various cancers has been reported. METHODS: To determine whether aberrant miR-34a methylation occurs in esophageal cancer, the DNA methylation of 23 CpGs sites in the miR-34a promoter was quantitatively analyzed in relation to the translation initiation site by MALDI -TOF mass spectrometry in 59 ESCC tissues and 34 normal tissues from the Kazakh population. Real-time PCR was used to detect the inhibition of miR-34a expression levels and to evaluate their association with methylation. RESULTS: We found that miR-34a is more frequently methylated in ESCC (0.133?±?0.040) than in controls (0.066?±?0.045, P?

SUBMITTER: Cui X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3931274 | biostudies-other | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other