Methylomics of breast cancer: Seeking epimarkers in peripheral blood of young subjects

Tumour Biol. 2017 Mar;39(3):1010428317695040. doi: 10.1177/1010428317695040.

Abstract

Critical roles of epigenomic alterations in the pathogenesis of breast cancer have recently seized great attentions toward finding epimarkers in either non-invasive or semi-non-invasive samples as well as peripheral blood. In this way, methylated DNA immunoprecipitation microarray (MeDIP-chip) was performed on DNA samples isolated from white blood cells of 30 breast cancer patients compared to 30 healthy controls. A total of 1799 differentially methylated regions were identified including SLC6A3, Rab40C, ZNF584, and FOXD3 whose significant methylation differences were confirmed in breast cancer patients through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Hypermethylation of APC, HDAC1, and GSK1 genes has been previously reported in more than one study on tissue samples of breast cancer. Methylation of those aforementioned genes in white blood cells of our young patients not only relies on their importance in breast cancer pathogenesis but also may highlight their potential as early epimarkers that makes further assessments necessary in large cohort studies.

Keywords: White blood cells; breast cancer; methylation; microarray.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / blood
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • DNA Methylation / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / blood
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics*
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Female
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / blood
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Gene Regulatory Networks / genetics
  • Humans
  • Microarray Analysis
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / blood
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • FOXD3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • SLC6A3 protein, human
  • ZNF584 protein, human
  • Rab40c protein, human
  • rab GTP-Binding Proteins