Vimentin methylation as a marker for advanced colorectal carcinoma.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Recently, it was shown that the Vimentin gene, usually activated in mesenchymal cells, was highly methylated in colorectal carcinoma. Moreover, Vimentin methylation can be applied for the screening or as a diagnostic tool of colorectal carcinomas in the fecal DNA test. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The methylation status of the Vimentin gene was examined in primary carcinomas and the corresponding normal tissues derived from 48 patients with colorectal cancer using quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP) and the correlation between the methylation status and the clinicopathological findings was evaluated. RESULTS: Aberrant methylation of the Vimentin gene was detected in 31 out of 48 (65%) primary colorectal carcinomas. This result suggested that the aberrant methylation of the Vimentin gene was frequent in colorectal carcinomas. Subsequently, clinicopathological data were correlated with the methylation score. A significant difference was observed in age and Dukes' stage (p = 0.001 and p = 0.034, respectively). Moreover, a trend was shown toward preferentially developing liver metastasis and peritoneal dissemination in colorectal carcinomas with Vimentin methylation (p = 0.052 and p = 0.080, respectively). CONCLUSION: Vimentin was frequently methylated in advanced colorectal carcinoma.