LINE-1 Hypomethylation in Cancer Is Highly Variable and Inversely Correlated with Microsatellite Instability
2007

LINE-1 Hypomethylation in Cancer and Its Relationship with Microsatellite Instability

Sample size: 121 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Estécio Marcos R.H., Gharibyan Vazganush, Shen Lanlan, Ibrahim Ashraf E.K., Doshi Ketan, He Rong, Jelinek Jaroslav, Yang Allen S., Yan Pearlly S., Huang Tim H-M., Tajara Eloiza H., Issa Jean-Pierre J.

Primary Institution: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

Hypothesis

This study aims to determine the relationship between DNA hypomethylation, hypermethylation, and microsatellite instability in cancer.

Conclusion

Global hypomethylation is partially reversed in cancers with microsatellite instability and shows high variability in cancer, indicating different progression pathways.

Supporting Evidence

  • Colorectal carcinomas with microsatellite instability showed a significant decrease in LINE-1 methylation compared to normal adjacent tissues.
  • Cancer cell lines exhibited a large variation in LINE-1 methylation, which was tissue-specific.
  • The study found that 50 out of 61 cancer cell lines were hypomethylated compared to normal tissues.

Takeaway

In cancer, the amount of DNA that is not methylated can vary a lot, and this is linked to whether the cancer has certain genetic instabilities.

Methodology

The study examined 61 cancer cell lines and 60 colorectal carcinomas using LINE-1 bisulfite-PCR and microarray analysis.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the selection of specific cancer cell lines and tissue types.

Limitations

The study's findings may not be generalizable due to the limited number of cancer cell lines analyzed for certain tissues.

Participant Demographics

Included 60 colorectal carcinoma patients and 61 cancer cell lines from various tissues.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0000399

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication