PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - WOUTER K. DE JONG AU - GONDA F. VERPOOTEN AU - HENK KRAMER AU - JOOST LOUWAGIE AU - HARRY J.M. GROEN TI - Promoter Methylation Primarily Occurs in Tumor Cells of Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer DP - 2009 Jan 01 TA - Anticancer Research PG - 363--369 VI - 29 IP - 1 4099 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/29/1/363.short 4100 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/29/1/363.full SO - Anticancer Res2009 Jan 01; 29 AB - Background: The distribution of promoter methylation throughout the lungs of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unknown. In this explorative study, we assessed the methylation status of the promoter region of 11 genes in brush samples of 3 well-defined endobronchial locations in patients with NSCLC and in brushes of former and current smokers without NSCLC. Materials and Methods: The methylation status of RASSF1A, GATA4, GATA5, SFRP1, RARβ2, DAPK, MGMT, p16, p14, CHFR and APC2 was determined in all samples using real-time methylation-specific PCR. Results: Ten patients with NSCLC and 18 non-NSCLC controls were included. Eight patients had one or more methylated genes in their tumor brush. Promoter methylation of genes in proximal or contralateral locations was much less frequent than in tumor brushes, and almost exclusively occurred in normal tissue if the same gene was also methylated in the tumor brush. Conclusion: Promoter methylation almost exclusively occurred in tumor cells of patients with NSCLC. Copyright© 2009 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved