A Specific Methylation Pattern Of The E-cadherin Gene Promoter Is Associated With Its Expression In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line Hep-G2

Objective: The present study was designed to test the hypothesis thatCpG island methylation of promoter region may inactivate the E-cadherin(E-cad) gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, and toevaluate the effect of E-cadherin gene promoter methylation on E-cadherinprotein expression.Methods: The CpG island methylation of E-cadherin gene promoterwas detected by Methylation-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (MSP)in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Hep-G2. The expression of E-cadherinwas examined by immunohistochemistry.Results: The CpG island Hypermethylation of E-cadherin genepromoter was found in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Hep-G2 and Theexpression of E-cadherin was negative in the cell line. By Treatment with ademethylating agent, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, The expression of Ecadherin was positive in the cell line.Conclusions: These results suggested that the CpG islandHypermethylation of E-cadherin gene promoter was one of the importantreasons for the inactivation of the E-cadherin gene in hepatocellularcarcinoma cell line Hep-G2; Treatment with a demethylating agent,induces the reexpression of E-Cadherin protein by reactive E-Cadheringene silenced by promoter hypermethylation.