The promoter hypermethylation of DAPK gene and p16 gene in sera from Chinese non-small cell lung cancer patients

Objective: To evaluate the clinical significance of the aberrant methylation of DAPK gene and pl6 gene in sera from 65 NSCLC patients from Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Command, China. Methods: A methylation-specific PCR (MSP) was performed for the detection of promoter hypermethy lation of DAPK gene and p16 gene in blood DNA from 65 cases of NSCLC, and to analyze the relation of the aberrant methylation of DAPK gene and pl6 gene and the clinicopathological data. Results: 30.8% (20/65) of the sera from 65 cases of NSCLC showed hypermethylation for DAPK promoter and 43.1% (28/65) the same for p16 promoter, whereas no methylated DAPK gene promoter and pl6 gene promoter were found in sera from the patients with lung benign diseases and normal controls. Methylated DAPK gene promoter and p16 gene promoter in sera were not closely correlated with the pathological classification, stage, metastasis and differentiation in NSCLC. Conclusion: Detection of the aberrant methylation of DAPK gene and pl6 gene in blood DNA from NSCLC patients might offer an effective means for the earlier auxiliary diagnosis of the malignancy.