Assesment of SOX-17 gene promoter hypermethylation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

e15063 Background: SRY-box containing gene 17 (SOX-17) is implicated in the WNT/β-catenin pathway and acts as a tumor suppressor gene inhibiting the transcription of activated β-catenin. WNT oncogene plays a crucial role in liver carcinogenesis and has been shown to correlate with poor survival and aggressive behavior in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Silencing of SOX-17 gene through promoter hypermethylation results in WNT overexpression. Tumor-related cell free DNA (cfDNA), circulating in the blood of cancer patients can be used for the detection of methylation status of several genes. Therefore, we examined SOX-17 methylation in the blood of HCC patients and correlated it with the outcome. Methods: Patients diagnosed with HCC were eligible. cfDNA from 87 patients (N=87) was isolated from 200 μL serum before any treatment. After DNA extraction, all samples were subjected to a sodium bisulfite conversion reaction. Methylation specific polymerase reaction (MSP) for SOX17 promoter methylation was performe...