Epigenetic DNA Hypermethylation of the HERP Gene Promoter Induces Down‐regulation of Its mRNA Expression in Patients With Alcohol Dependence

Abstract

To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating HERP mRNA expression and its specific gene promoter methylation in alcoholic patients. As hypermethylation of DNA is an important epigenetic factor in the down-regulation of gene expression, and as HERP has been considered to play an essential role within the intracellular defense system, these findings may be useful in the understanding and treatment of different disease conditions associated with alcohol dependence.