and Are Hypermethylated in Cervical Adenocarcinoma and Associated with Better Prognosis.

BACKGROUND

The increased risk and poor survival outcome of cervical adenocarcinoma (CAC) demand for effective early diagnostic biomarkers that can predict the disease progression and outcome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of methylation status of and in the detection and prognosis of CAC.

METHODS

We performed a quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction in 205 cervical paraffin-embedded specimens (175 CACs, 30 noncancer cervical tissues). Overall and progression-free survival (OS and PFS, respectively) rates were calculated and compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. The prognostic value of and on CAC patients was assessed by the Cox regression model. A mathematical formula combining , , and age was constructed for survival prediction.

RESULTS

The methylation status of and was higher in CAC tissues than in noncancer cervical tissues. In addition, -positive CAC patients showed a higher 5-year OS rate than -negative patients. In CAC patients with smaller tumor size (<4 cm), the -positive group showed a higher 5-year PFS rate than the -negative group. In the algorithm combining , , and age, the low-risk group showed a better 5-year OS and PFS rate than the high-risk group.

CONCLUSION

and methylation levels are higher in CAC than in normal cervical tissues and are potential biomarkers for monitoring CAC prognosis.