DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2016.v04i11.004

Pages: 986-992

Breast cancer cells illustrate major disruption in their DNA methylation patterns as compared with the normal breast cells. Authors aimed to identify the epigenetic molecular markers for “APC and RASSF1A” genes, in serum samples depending on the fact that the DNA is released into the peripheral circulation when the necrotic and apoptotic cells detached from the tumor for breast cancer detection. Serum samples were collected from 93 breast cancer patients, 55 patients with benign breast lesions, and 30 healthy individuals for detection of methylated genes using relative quantitative methylation specific PCR. Overall significant differences in methylation levels of the promoters of APC and RASSF1A genes (p0.0001, for both) were detected. They were significantly higher in the breast cancer patients (95.7% and 96.7%, respectively) than in the benign ones (10.9% and 52.7%, respectively); but were not detected in the healthy volunteers (0% at p< 0.0001). Both methylated genes’ promoters showed no significant difference among the clinicopathological factors apart from the reported significance between APC gene with positive progesterone receptor (PgR) and HER-2neu. In conclusion, the quantitative detection of aberrant methylated promoters of the two genes “APC and RASSF1A” in the serum samples is a promising approach for diagnosis of breast cancer-patients.