Methylation pattern of HLTF gene in digestive tract cancers

Recently, the loss of helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF) gene expression accompanied by HLTF promoter methylation was identified in colon cancers. We examined HLTF methylation in colorectal, gastric and esophageal carcinomas. Twenty-five of 76 colorectal cancers (33%), 11 of 65 gastric cancers (17%), and 1 of 40 esophageal cancers (3%) demonstrated abnormal methylation of the HLTF promoter. Abnormal methylation was found in the tumors of patients at all clinical stages, suggesting that these cancers could be methylated from an early stage. These results suggested that HLTF might play a variety of roles depending on the tissue type and could be inactivated at an early stage in the tumorigenic pathway. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.