Expression of the TIMP2 gene is not regulated by promoter hypermethylation in the Caski cell line.

Promoter hypermethylation has been linked to loss of expression of tumor suppressor genes in various types of tumors. A strong reciprocal correlation between promoter hypermethylation and expression of the TIMP2 gene was observed in the Caski cell line. The TIMP2 promoter was found to be methylated within the 1919 and 1987 region (-325 to -257), relative to the transcription start site through methylation-specific PCR in the HeLa, SiHa and Caski cervical cancer cell lines. However, a reverse transcription PCR analysis of the TIMP2 gene confirmed a normal expression in the HeLa and SiHa cell lines with a high expression in the Caski cell line, indicating that expression of the TIMP2 gene is independent of methylation of CpG sites located within the -325 to -257 region of the TIMP2 promoter, relative to the transcription start site.