Background: To evaluate the promoter methylation status of MUC2 gene and mRNA expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Methods: We analyzed MUC2 methylation by MSP, and MUC2 mRNA by real-time PCR in 74 HCC.
Results: MUC2 mRNA were lower in HCC tissues (Mean -ΔCt = -4.70) than that in Non-HCC tissues (Mean -ΔCt = -2.98). Expression of MUC2 was elevated in only 23 (31.08%) of the 74 HCC patients. MUC2 promoter was hypermethylated in 62.2% (46/74) of HCCs, and in only 18.9% (14/74) of non-tumor samples. MUC2 mRNA were lower in HCC patients with hypermethylation (Mean -ΔΔCt = -2.25) than those with demethylation (Mean -ΔΔCt = -0.22), and there is a decreased tendency for MUC2 mRNA in HCC patients with promoter hypermethylation (p = 0.011). There was a significantly correlation found between MUC2 mRNA and HBV and AFP in HCC. The loss of MUC2 mRNA and hypermethylation could be poor prognostic factors. After treated by 5-Aza-CdR and TSA, we found that MUC2 mRNA induced significantly in 7721, Huh7 and HepG2 cells.
Conclusion: The results suggested that MUC2 mRNA silenced by promoter hypermethylation is associated with high levels HBV in HCC.