Evaluation of ZAR1 and SFRP4 methylation status as potentials biomarkers for diagnosis in cervical cancer: exploratory study phase I

Abstract

Context: Aberrant hypermethylation of promoter region of tumor suppressor genes could be used as cancer biomarkers.

Objective: To test methylation status of ZAR1 and SFRP4 promoter regions as potentials biomarkers for diagnosis of preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of cervix.

Materials and methods: Cytobrush samples were evaluated by Methylation specific PCR (MSP) and quantitative MSP (qMSP).

Results: ZAR1 and SFRP4 methylation frequency increased as the grade of lesion increased and the differences between normal and cervical cancer (CC) are statistically significant (p < 0.0001). qMSP showed higher ZAR1 and SFRP4 methylation levels in cancer than normal epithelia (p < 0.001) and preneoplastics lesions (p < 0.01).

Discussion: qMSP quantify methylation levels and have high sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusion: ZAR1 and SFRP4 qMSP could be used as potential biomarker for CC diagnosis.

• Hypermethylation
• quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP)

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the invaluable help of Claudia Díaz and Irene Riquelme who recruited patient and collected samples for this study in the Ginecology outpatient service.