Aberrant methylation of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein zeta promoter in acute myeloid leukemia

Leuk Res. 2011 Jul;35(7):957-60. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2010.10.031. Epub 2010 Nov 23.

Abstract

The aberrant changes of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are now recognized as an important mechanism contributing to the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). CCAAT/enhancer binding protein zeta (C/EBPζ), a candidate TSG, has been found to be involved in cancers including AML. We detected the methylation status of C/EBPζ promoter in 133 patients with AML using the methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR) and examined C/EBPζ transcript in 32 patients using real-time quantitative PCR. The abnormal methylation of C/EBPζ gene promoter was found in 62 (46.6%) AML cases. No correlation was found between C/EBPζ promoter hypermethylation and the age, sex, WBC counts, platelet counts and FAB subtypes of AML patients (P>0.05). The trend that the frequency of C/EBPζ methylation increased as karyotype became more adverse was observed (R=0.167, P=0.075). There was a significant correlation between C/EBPζ expression and C/EBPζ methylation in AML patients (R=0.606, P=0.002). Our data suggest that the aberrant methylation of C/EBPζ promoter may be involved in AML.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Blotting, Western
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • DNA Methylation*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / genetics*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins
  • CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein zeta, human
  • RNA, Messenger