Examination of AKAP12 promoter methylation in skin cancer using methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting analysis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A kinase anchor protein 12 (AKAP12/gravin) belongs to a family of scaffold proteins and organizes protein kinase (PK)A and PKC. DNA hypermethylation in the AKAP12 promoter region has been reported in a variety of human cancers with the exception of skin cancer. Methylation-specific high-resolution melting (MS-HRM) analysis is a novel tool for analysis of promoter methylation. AIM: To use MS-HRM analysis to detect the methylation levels of the AKAP12 gene in skin samples. METHODS: In total, 195 samples, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis were examined. MS-HRM analysis was used to detect methylation levels of the AKAP12 gene in these samples. RESULTS: MS-HRM analysis successfully detected the methylation of AKAP12 in skin samples. The frequencies of AKAP12 methylation in all three types of skin abnormalities were significantly higher than in normal tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Application of MS-HRM analysis proved to be a fast and high-throughput method to investigate the epigenetic status of AKAP12. Methylation of AKAP12 can be detected in different skin abnormalities.