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. 2007 Feb 14;13(6):950-4.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i6.950.

Detection of aberrant methylation in fecal DNA as a molecular screening tool for colorectal cancer and precancerous lesions

Zhao-Hui Huang  1 , Li-Hua Li, Fan Yang, Jin-Fu Wang
Affiliations

Detection of aberrant methylation in fecal DNA as a molecular screening tool for colorectal cancer and precancerous lesions

Zhao-Hui Huang et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the feasibility of detecting methylated fecal DNA as a screening tool for colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and precancerous lesions.

Methods: Methylated secreted frizzled-related protein gene 2 (SFRP2), hyperplastic polyposis protein gene (HPP1) and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase gene (MGMT) in stools from 52 patients with CRC, 35 patients with benign colorectal diseases and 24 normal individuals were analyzed using methylation-specific PCR.

Results: Methylated SFRP2, HPP1 and MGMT were detected in 94.2%, 71.2%, 48.1% of CRC patients and 52.4%, 57.1%, 28.6% of adenoma patients, respectively. The overall prevalence of fecal DNA with at least one methylated gene was 96.2% and 81.8% in patients with CRC and precancerous lesions, respectively. In contrast, only one of the 24 normal individuals revealed methylated DNA. These results indicated a 93.7% sensitivity and a 77.1% specificity of the assay for detecting CRC and precancerous lesions.

Conclusion: Methylation testing of fecal DNA using a panel of epigenetic markers may be a simple and promising non-invasive screening method for CRC and precancerous lesions.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative results from methylation-specific PCR analysis performed in stool samples from patients with colorectal cancer.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sequence comparison between amplicons of methylated SFRP2 and wild-type SFRP2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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