[Hypermethylation of p16 gene in clinical specimens of patients with lung cancer]

Zhonghua Zhong Liu Za Zhi. 2004 Feb;26(2):75-7.
[Article in Chinese]

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate aberrant methylation of the p16 promoter as a useful biomarker of lung cancer.

Methods: A modified methylation-specific semi-nested PCR was performed to detect p16 hypermethylation in the matched samples of tumor tissue, blood plasma and sputum derived from 51 cases of lung cancer patients.

Results: Hypermethylation of p16 promoter was demonstrated in 84.3% of the tumor tissues, 70.6% of the blood plasma and 76.5% of the sputum specimens, respectively. Only the patients whose tumor tissues had p16 hypermethylation exhibited aberrant methylation in their plasma and/or sputum specimens. Combining with cytological examination, 92.2% of the patients with lung cancer could be detected by p16 hypermethylation assay in both sputum and plasma samples.

Conclusion: The results indicate that p16 hypermethylation in plasma and sputum identified by semi-nested PCR is a biomarker of lung cancer which can be useful as an auxillary diagnostic parameter.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA Methylation*
  • Genes, p16*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction