Assessment of Methylation of RASSF1A Gene in Circulating Tumor DNA of Breast Cancer Patients by Methylation-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction

作者：Rezk Nasser Sadek^*; Shehab Abeer Al Sayed; Abd El Mageed Abeer Ibrahim; El Shinawi Mohamed; El Maraghy Mohamed Omar

来源：Life Science Journal-Acta Zhengzhou University Overseas Edition, 2013, 10(1): 1945-1951.

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the methylation status of RASSF1A tumor suppressor gene in circulating tumor DNA in sera of a group of Egyptian breast cancer patients by methylation-specific PCR. Methods: 50 subjects were included: 36 breast cancer patients and 14 healthy controls. Following breast examination, imaging studies and tissue biopsies (for patients group), CA 15-3 was assessed by electrochemiluminescence and RASSF1A gene methylation status was evaluated by methylation-specific PCR. Results: RASSF1A gene was methylated in 17/36 (47.2%) of patients and in none of the 14 control samples. Heterozygous pattern of RASSF1A gene methylation was detected in 2 patient samples. There was a significant association between tumor stage subgroups and each of CA 15-3 serum levels and RASSF1A gene methylation. Conclusion: RASSF1A gene methylation is a potential epigenetic marker for breast cancer. Further improvement of its screening efficiency might be reached by the use of more than one gene in combination. This gene is a likely candidate for tumor demethylation therapy.

• 出版日期2013