RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Aberrant Methylation of the UNC5C Gene is Frequently Detected in Advanced Colorectal Cancer JF Anticancer Research JO Anticancer Res FD International Institute of Anticancer Research SP 271 OP 273 VO 29 IS 1 A1 KENJI HIBI A1 HIROKI MIZUKAMI A1 ATSUSHI SHIRAHATA A1 TETSUHIRO GOTO A1 MAKIKO SAKATA A1 MITSUO SAITO A1 KAZUYOSHI ISHIBASHI A1 GAKU KIGAWA A1 HIROSHI NEMOTO A1 YUTAKA SANADA YR 2009 UL http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/29/1/271.abstract AB Background: UNC5C, one of the Netrin-1 receptors, belongs to the functional dependence receptor family, members of which share the ability to induce apoptosis in the absence of their ligands. Recently, two reports indicated that UNC5C methylation was closely associated with loss of gene expression in colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: The methylation status of the UNC5C gene was examined in primary carcinomas and the corresponding normal tissues derived from 49 patients with colorectal cancer using quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP) and the correlation between the methylation status and the clinicopathological findings was evaluated. Results. Aberrant methylation of the UNC5C gene was detected in 34 out of the 49 (69%) primary colon carcinomas, suggesting that the aberrant methylation of UNC5C was frequent in colorectal cancer. The clinicopathological data were then tested for correlation with this result. A significantly greater proportion of cases with methylated UNC5C was found in Dukes' stage C (p=0.0380) than in earlier stages. Conclusion: UNC5C might act as a tumor suppressor and UNC5C methylation might present a malignant potential in colorectal cancer. Copyright© 2009 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved