Positive Health Online

Abstract

KANG and COLLEAGUES, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China wangjt59@163.com  explored the effect of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) on cervical cancer and cervix precancerous lesion.

Background

The authors explored the effect of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) on cervical cancer and cervix precancerous lesion.

Methodology

74 patients with cervix squamous cell carcinoma(SCC), 52 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasm I (CIN I), 60 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasm II - II (CIN II-III)and 58 patients with histologically diagnosed cervix inflammation(CI), were included in this study. Information as demography, reproductive history, life style, HPV infection were collected. Western Blot were used to detect the expression of DNMT1 protein and MeCP2 protein. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of DNMT1 and MeCP2 mRNA.

Results

Levels of DNMT1 and MeCP2 protein expression increased gradually with the deterioration of cervical lesion (H = 94.33, P < 0.001;F = 21.580, P < 0.001). Along with the deterioration of cervical lesion, levels of DNMT1 and MeCP2 mRNA expression were gradually increasing( F = 4.758, P = 0.003; F = 7.804, P < 0.001). Data from Correlation analysis showed that both protein (r = 0.287, P < 0.001) and mRNA(r = 0.179, P = 0.005)were positive correlated with DNMT1 and MeCP2. The results of the study indicated that there was an additive interaction between high-expression of DNMT1 protein and high-expression of MeCP2 protein in SCC or CIN II-III. However, there was an additive interaction between high-expression of DNMT1 mRNA and high-expression of MeCP2 mRNA in SCC or CIN II-III.

Conclusion

Results from this study revealed the fact that both high expression of DNMT1 protein and high expression of MeCP2 protein could increase the risk of cervix cancer. According to these findings, there might be a synergistic action existed between DNMT1 and MeCP2 during the progression of cervical cancer.

References

Kang HJ, Wang JT, Gao CF, Bai LX, Ding L, Xu J, Wu TT and Bai L. [Effect of DNA methyltransferase 1 and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 abnormal expression on cervical lesions and related interaction]. [Chinese]  Chung-Hua Liu Hsing Ping Hsueh Tsa Chih Chinese Journal of Epidemiology.  34(12):1223-7. Dec 2013.

Comment

These results at the molecular level add to our knowledge and understanding of the development and progression of cervical cancer.