Frequent methylation of HOXA9 gene in tumor tissues and plasma samples from human hepatocellular carcinomas

Chih Chi Kuo, Ching Yu Lin, Yu Lueng Shih, Chung Bao Hsieh, Pei Yu Lin, Shuh Bing Guan, Ming Song Hsieh, Hung Cheng Lai, Chien Jen Chen, Ya Wen Lin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Aberrant DNA methylation is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), suggesting that gene methylation could be a potential biomarker for detection of HCC. The aim of this study is to identify potential biomarkers in HCC. Methods: We used the Infinium methylation array and a DNA-pooling strategy to analyze the genome-wide methylation profile in HCC. Quantitative methylation-specific PCR (Q-MSP) was used to validate homeobox A9 (HOXA9) methylation in 29 normal controls, 100 HCC samples and adjacent non-tumor tissues and in 74 plasma samples, including 40 patients with HCC. Results: Ten genes (HOXA9, NEUROG1, TNFRSF10C, IRAK3, GFPT2, ZNF177, DPYSL4, ELOVL4, FSD1, and CACNA1G) showed differences in methylation between controls and HCCs. Of these, HOXA9 was significantly hypermethylated in HCCs (76.7%; 23/30) compared with controls (3.4%; 1/29). In addition, combination analysis of two- and three-gene sets for HCC detection showed greater sensitivity (90%-96.7%) and comparable specificity (93.1%-96.6%) to each individual gene (33.3%-76.7% and 55.2%-100.0%). HOXA9 methylation was further validated by Q-MSP in two independent set of clinical samples including 100 HCC and paired non-tumor tissues. Further, HOXA9 methylation could be detected in plasma from HCC patients (n=40) but not in normal plasma (n=34) (p

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1235-1245
Number of pages11
JournalClinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
Volume52
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 1 2014

Keywords

  • DNA methylation
  • HCC biomarker
  • HOXA9
  • methylation array

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Biochemistry, medical

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