Abstract:

To clarify the significance of DNA methylation alterations during renal carcinogenesis, methylome analysis using single-CpG-resolution Infinium array was performed on 29 normal renal cortex tissue (C) samples, 107 non-cancerous renal cortex tissue (N) samples obtained from patients with clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) and 109 tumorous tissue (T) samples. DNA methylation levels at 4830 CpG sites were already altered in N samples compared with C samples. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis based on DNA methylation levels at the 801 CpG sites, where DNA methylation alterations had occurred in N samples and were inherited by and strengthened in T samples, clustered clear cell RCCs into Cluster A (n = 90) and Cluster B (n = 14). Clinicopathologically aggressive tumors were accumulated in Cluster B, and the cancer-free and overall survival rates of patients in this cluster were significantly lower than those of patients in Cluster A. Clear cell RCCs in Cluster B were characterized by accumulation of DNA hypermethylation on CpG islands and considered to be CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP)-positive cancers. DNA hypermethylation of the CpG sites on the FAM150A, GRM6, ZNF540, ZFP42, ZNF154, RIMS4, PCDHAC1, KHDRBS2, ASCL2, KCNQ1, PRAC, WNT3A, TRH, FAM78A, ZNF671, SLC13A5 and NKX6-2 genes became hallmarks of CIMP in RCCs. On the other hand, Cluster A was characterized by genome-wide DNA hypomethylation. These data indicated that DNA methylation alterations at precancerous stages may determine tumor aggressiveness and patient outcome. Accumulation of DNA hypermethylation on CpG islands and genome-wide DNA hypomethylation may each underlie distinct pathways of renal carcinogenesis.

日本語要旨:

腎細胞における1塩基解像度の高密度アレイによるDNAメチル化解析で、CpGアイランドにおけるDNAメチル化亢進が蓄積し、臨床病理学的に悪性度が高く、予後不良である、CpGアイランドメチル化形質 (CIMP)を同定し、腎細胞がん固有のCIMPマーカー遺伝子を同定した。