Methylation Status of SFRP1 Gene Promoter of Colorectal Cancer Cells

Abstract

Objectives: Cancers of the colon and rectum are the third most frequent malignancy in Taiwan and were responsible for 2555 deaths in 2003. In a review article, Jones et al. emphasized the importance of Wnt pathway in carcinogenesis. Therefore, the interaction of Wnt pathway and antagonists of the pathways during colon/rectal tumorogenesis needs more detail investigation. We have previously reported that frequent methylation of the secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) promoter occurs during colorectal cancer. To clarify the real role of the SFRP1 gene in the development of colorectal cancer, we further explored the methylation status of the SFRP1 gene promoter in colorectal cancer cells. Methods: SFRP1 promoter methylation was evaluated in two cancer cell lines of the colon and rectum, HT29 and CT26, by methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR). Results: Semimethylation of the promoter was found in CT26 cell line, while the HT29 cell line showed aberrant methylation at the promoter region. Conclusions: The MS-PCR result revealed the presence of aberrant SFRP1 promoter methylation in HT29 cells and therefore the HT29 cell line was chosen to be the candidate for further experiments in this area.