DNA Methylation Status of RETN and ADIPOQ Genes in Sporadic Colon Cancer

Background: Colon cancer develops through a complex process that involves epigenetic alterations. Compelling evidence has been achieved that adipocytokines link obesity with colon cancer progression Therefore, understanding the epigenetic modifications in adipokine genes might help in clarifying their role in colon cancer pathogenesis. The aim of the present project was to study the DNA methylation status of RETN and ADIPOQ genes in sporadic colon cancer patients. Methods: : 70 cancerous colon tissue and adjacent paired non-cancerous tissue was used to determine the DNA methylation status using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR) assay. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to determine the expression level of RETN and ADIPOQ genes. Results: : In colon cancer tissues, the CpG sites in the three selected promoter regions of ADIPOQ and RETN were hypermethylated in all samples. DNA methylation level at the CpG sites in exon one of the RETN gene exhibited a lower level in the non-cancerous tissue compared to the cancerous tissue and paired blood samples. The RETN mRNA was upregulated. Conclusion: We postulate that DNA methylation status at the CpG sites in exon one of the RETN gene might help uncover cancer signatures in sporadic colon cancer and may be used as a biomarker. The upregulation of the RETN mRNA level might play a role in sporadic colon cancer tumorigenesis.