p14ARF, p15INK4b and p16INK4a methylation status in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

The INK4 family of proteins p15INK4b, p14ARF and p16INK4a function as cell cycle inhibitors where they are involved in the inhibition of G1 phase progression. Methylation of the p15INK4b promoter never seems to occur in solid tumors but is a major gene silencing mechanism in hematological malignancies. p14ARF and p16INK4a promoter methylation often occurs in solid tumors but also in leukemias and lymphomas. In chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), only a few reports have been published regarding INK4 methylation and the results of the literature are discordant. Thus clearly, more works on large series have to be performed independently.