GSH2 promoter methylation in pancreatic cancer analyzed by quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction.

Tumor suppressor gene silencing via promoter hypermethylation is an important event in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis. Aberrant DNA hypermethylation events are highly tumor specific, and may provide a diagnostic tool for pancreatic cancer patients. The objective of the current study was to identify novel methylation-related genes that may potentially be used to establish novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies against pancreatic cancer. The methylation status of the GS homeobox 2 (GSH2) gene was analyzed using the sodium bisulfite sequencing method. The GSH2 methylation ratio was examined in primary carcinomas and corresponding normal tissues derived from 47 patients with pancreatic cancer, using quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Methylation ratios were found to be associated with the patient's clinicopathological features. GSH2 gene methylation was detected in 26 (55.3%) of the 47 pancreatic cancer patients, indicating that it occurs frequently in pancreatic cancer. A significant association with methylation was observed for tumor-node-metastasis stage (P=0.031). GSH2 may be a novel methylation-sensitive tumor suppressor gene in pancreatic cancer and may be a tumor-specific biomarker of the disease.