Chromosome 16q genes CDH1, CDH13 and ADAMTS18 are correlated and frequently methylated in human lymphoma.

The products of the E-cadherin (CDH1), H-cadherin (CDH13) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motif 18 (ADAMTS18) genes are proteins displaying structural features and functions on the cell surface membrane, and have been reported to be involved in cancer progression. Using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and methylation-specific PCR (MSP) analysis, the promoter methylation status and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of CDH1, CDH13 and ADAMTS18, which are putative tumor-suppressor genes located on chromosome 16q, were evaluated. In addition, the mRNA expression levels of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) 1, 3A and 3B were examined, and the correlations among the different parameters analyzed were studied in 36 lymphomas and 16 non-malignant lymphoid tissue samples. A significant positive correlation was identified between the expression levels of CDH1 and CDH13 (r=0.735, P<0.01). ADAMTS18 expression also exhibited a significant positive correlation with both CDH1 and CDH13 mRNA expression levels (r=0.625, P<0.01; and r=0.720, P<0.01, respectively). Our results indicated that CDH1, CDH13 and ADAMTS18, which are localized on chromosome 16q, are remarkably correlated and frequently methylated in human lymphomas, and their methylation could not be explained solely by the mRNA expression level of DNMTs.