Abstract
Activation of the wingless-type (Wnt) signaling pathway is common in cancers. The Wnt inhibitory factor-1 (WIF-1) is a secreted antagonist that acts by binding to Wnt ligands. We examined by methylation-specific PCR (MSP), whether WIF-1 is inactivated in 68 nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC), and 10 normal mucosa. We showed that the WIF-1 promoter was methylated in 89.7% of tumors, whereas all normal mucosa were unmethylated. The WIF-1 methylation was associated with the tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) (p = .003) and the age (p = .014). The Wnt-5a mRNA was higher in tumors and correlated with TNM (p = .012). The methylation of WIF-1 contributes to the activation of the Wnt pathway in NPC.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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5' Flanking Region / genetics
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Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics*
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Adult
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Base Sequence
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DNA Methylation*
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Female
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
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Humans
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Multivariate Analysis
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Nasal Mucosa / metabolism
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Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / genetics*
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Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / pathology
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Nasopharynx / metabolism
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Neoplasm Staging
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Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics*
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
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Repressor Proteins / genetics*
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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Sequence Analysis, DNA
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Tunisia
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Wnt Proteins / genetics
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Wnt-5a Protein
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Young Adult
Substances
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Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins
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Repressor Proteins
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WIF1 protein, human
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WNT5A protein, human
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Wnt Proteins
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Wnt-5a Protein