Methylation and protein expression of RASSF2 in prostate cancer / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of the epigenetic inactivation of Ras association domain family 2 (RASSF2) in the occurrence and development of prostate cancer by detecting the methylation and protein expression of RASSF2 in the tissues of prostate cancer and prostatic hyperplasia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We obtained genome DNA from 30 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of prostate cancer (experimental group) and another 30 of prostatic hyperplasia (control group). We detected the methylation of RASSF2 by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and its protein expression by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The rates of RASSF2 promoter hypermethylation and the absence of its protein expression were 66.7% (20/30) and 70.0% (21/30) respectively in the experimental group, significantly higher than 6.7% (2/30) and 3.3% (1/30) in the control group (P < 0.05). The promoter hypermethylation of RASSF2 was significantly correlated with the absence of its protein expression (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The epigenetic inactivation of RASSF2 is involved in the occurrence of prostate cancer, and is expected to be a target of molecular diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.</p>