Background/aims: To observe the promoter methylation of esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) in gastric cancer tissues and explore its clinical significance.
Methodology: ECRG4 promoter methylation was detected with methylation-specific PCR in 49 samples of gastric cancer tissues, 30 samples of peri-cancerous tissues and 15 samples of normal tissues. The relations of ECRG4 promoter methylation to pathology, age, gender and lymph node metastasis were analyzed.
Results: The rate of ECRG4 promoter methylation was higher in gastric cancer tissues (69.4% (34/49)) and peri-cancerous tissues (53.3% (16/30)) than in normal tissues (6.7% (1/15)) (p<0.01). The rate of ECRG4 promoter methylation was higher in stage III+IV (80% (24/30)) than in stage I+II gastric cancer tissues (52.6% (10/19)) (p<0.05). The rate of ECRG4 promoter methylation was not related to age, gender and lymph node metastasis (all p>0.05).
Conclusions: Aberrant ECRG4 promoter methylation may be used to monitor early gastric cancer and predict pathological staging. ECRG4 may become a molecular therapeutic target against gastric cancer.