OBJECTIVETo study the methylation status of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene promoter in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and its clinical relevance.

METHODSMethylation-specific PCR (MSP) was used to detect FHIT promoter methylation in bone marrow samples from 54 MDS cases.

RESULTSHypermethylation of FHIT promoter was detected in 26 cases (48.1%). Association was not found between FHIT gene hypermethylation and sex, hematologic parameters and chromosomal abnormalities of MDS patients, but found between FHIT gene hypermethylation and age of the MDS cases. Although significant difference was not observed in the frequencies of FHIT gene hypermethylation among patients with refractory anemia/refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RA/RAS) (1/6, 16.7%), refractory anemia/refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RCMD) and refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia with ringed blasts (RCMD-RS) (6/19, 31.6%), refractory anemia with excess blasts-1 (RAEB-1) (7/11, 63.6%), refractory anemia with excess blasts-2 (RAEB-2) (4/7, 57.1%) and refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation/acute myeloid leukemia (RAEBt/AML) (8/11, 72.7%)(chi-square=8.417, P=0.077), it was observed in patients in early stages (RA/RAS and RCMD) (7/25, 28.0%), advanced stages (RAEB-1 and RAEB-2)(11/18, 61.1%) and RAEBt/AML (8/11, 72.7%) (chi-square=7.938, P=0.019). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the frequency of FHIT gene hypermethylation and different IPSS groups (chi-square=10.110, P=0.018).

CONCLUSIONFHIT gene hypermethylation might be one of the molecular events involved in the disease progression of MDS.