Methylation of tumour suppressor genes and in HCV-related liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

: HCV infection is related to aberrant methylation of several genes. and are tumour suppressor genes that may be inactivated by hypermethylation in many tumours including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We hypothesized that methylation is a diagnostic biomarker for HCC in patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis.: We recruited 207 cases of HCV-related liver cirrhosis, 193 HCC patients and 53 healthy controls. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction for detection of circulating hypermethylated and . Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) was measured by commercial immunoassay.: Significant hypermethylation of the three genes was found in the HCC group compared to both cirrhosis and healthy groups ( < 0.001), whereas no significant difference in hypermethylation was found between cirrhosis and healthy groups ( = 0.17, 0.50 and 0.14, respectively). No significant links were found between hypermethylated and and stages of Barcelona Clinic of Liver Cancer score (0.21, 0.63 and 0.98, respectively). No significant associations were found between AFP value and hypermethylated genes in cirrhosis and HCC groups ( = 0.82) except with in HCC ( = 0.02). In multiple regression analysis, and were predictors of HCC within cirrhosis cases, but only was an independent risk factor for prediction of HCC in cases with low AFP ( = 0.01).: The presence of hypermethylated serum and is linked to HCC in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis. Only is an independent risk factor for prediction of HCC with low AFP. These findings may be of diagnostic value.