OBJECTIVETo analyze the promoter methylation levels of p15, CDH1, DAPK and HICI genes of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and explore the relationship between the level of methylation and clinical features.

METHODSDNA methylation levels of p15, CDH1, DAPK and HICI in peripheral blood (PB) or bone marrow (BM) samples from 52 MDS patients were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The correlation of the methylation level with clinical features and hematological findings was analyzed. 38 de novo AML patients and 46 normal individuals served as controls.

RESULTSThe methylation levels of p15, CDH1, DAPK and HICI were 16.23 ± 21.69, 6.59 ± 9.39, 0.14 ± 0.11 and 7.81 ± 9.70 in BM, and 14.96 ± 20.16, 6.00 ± 9.26, 0.12 ± 0.14 and 6.74 ± 9.72 in PB, respectively from 18 MDS patients, and the difference between BM and PB was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The methylation levels of p15 (14.70 ± 18.17) and CDH1 (6.61 ± 8.79) genes in high risk (RAEBI/II) MDS were significantly higher than in low risk (RCMD/RARS/5q-, p15: 1.99 ± 1.59, CDH1: 1.23 ± 1.14 and RCMD, p15: 3.02 ± 3.42, CDH1:1.53 ± 2.06) MDS or control (p15: 1.69 ± 1.82, CDH1: 1.01 ± 1.12) (P < 0.05). The methylation levels of DAPK gene had no difference among subtypes of MDS, and that of HIC1 gene only differed between RAEB I/II (9.16 ± 11.95) and control (2.49 ± 2.26) (P = 0.042). The difference of methylation levels of p15, CDH1, DAPK and HICI in BM was statistically significant among subtypes of MDS (P = 0.001, 0.003, 0.039, 0.023, respectively). And so did of p15 and DAPK in PB (P = 0.013, 0.006, respectively). The methylation level of p15 and CDH1 was significantly correlated with IPSS classification and blasts percentage in BM.

CONCLUSIONSp15 and CDH1 genes are special hypermethylation genes in MDS. Methylation level of HIC1 gene showed an upward tendency from low risk to high risk MDS.