Analysis of promoter DNA methylation of cell cycle regulation genes, P14 and P16 in endometrial carcinoma patients

Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women after breast, lung, and colorectal cancer. Due to wide spread of endometrial cancer in recent years it seems that factors beyond genetic would be involved in its incidence. Epigenetic mechanisms are the most important factors in carcinogenesis. hypermethylation commonly associated with down regulation of gene expression. The aim of this study was to investigate the status of p16INK4a, p14ARF gene promoter methylation and compare methylation pattern in blood and tissue. Blood and (n = 26) and formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples (n=28) were collected from endometrial cancer patients. After genomic DNA extraction, DNA was modified by sodium bisulfite and was analyzed by Methylation-specific PCR (MSP). The results were analyzed with SPSS software. In the current study, P14 promoter hypermethylation in blood was associated with depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer (P=0.03). Also significant association between P16 gene in tissue with grade in endometrial cancer (p=0.06) was observed. There was statistically significant difference between p16INK4a and p14ARF genes promoter hypermethylation in Blood and FFPE samples (P=0.177, P=0.221). Our results confirmed that epigenetic mechanisms play important role in incidence of endometrial cancer and were showed P16, P14 genes promoter hypermethylation can be a biomarker in progress of endometrial cancer. Also difference between p16INK4a and p14ARF promoter hypermethylation in blood and FFPE samples were showed methylation status of blood sample can be early and noninvasive diagnostic marker in endometrial cancer.