Hypermethylation of Wnt antagonist gene promoters and activation of Wnt pathway in myelodysplastic marrow cells.

We observed aberrant gene methylation of Wnt antagonists: sFRP1, sFRP2, sFRP4, sFRP5 and DKK1 in marrow cells of 55 MDS cases. Methylation of Wnt antagonist genes was associated with activation of the Wnt signaling pathway, consistent with the up-regulation of the Wnt downstream genes TCF1 and LEF1. Azacitidine exposure induced demethylation of Wnt-antagonist gene promoters and reduction of the non-phosphorylated β-catenin (NPBC) which is prevalent during Wnt pathway inactivation. Presence of ≥5% of bone marrow blasts was associated with methylation of sFRP1 and DKK1 and with methylation of more than two of the five Wnt antagonist genes.