DNA methylation in hepatocellular carcinoma

World J Gastroenterol. 2008 Mar 21;14(11):1741-8. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.1741.

Abstract

As for many other tumors, development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) must be understood as a multistep process with accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations in regulatory genes, leading to activation of oncogenes and inactivation or loss of tumor suppressor genes (TSG). In the last decades, in addition to genetic alterations, epigenetic inactivation of (tumor suppressor) genes by promoter hypermethylation has been recognized as an important and alternative mechanism in tumorigenesis. In HCC, aberrant methylation of promoter sequences occurs not only in advanced tumors, it has been also observed in premalignant conditions just as chronic viral hepatitis B or C and cirrhotic liver. This review discusses the epigenetic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma focusing DNA methylation.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / metabolism
  • Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly
  • DNA Methylation*
  • DNA, Neoplasm / metabolism*
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic

Substances

  • DNA, Neoplasm
  • Histones