Significance of methylation of C/EBPα gene in Uighur patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Objective To explore the significance of methylation of CpG islands in CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α(C/EBPα) gene promoter in Uighur patients with cervical carcinogenesis.Methods A case-control study was conducted for 19 cervical tumor tissue samples and 17 normal cervical tissue samples of Uighur women in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.The methylation of CpG islands in C/EBPα gene promoter was measured using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight(MALDI-TOF) mass array method.Results The results showed that the methylation of CpG islands in C/EBPα gene promoter was significantly higher in cervical squamous cell carcinoma cases(0.137 1±0.088 36) than in the controls(0.115 6±0.087 28,Z=-2.840; P=0.005).The methylation of CpG_1,CpG_5,and CpG_14.15 in C/EBPα gene promoter in cervical squamous cell carcinoma cases were 0.095 9±0.053 16,0.072 1±0.025 07,and 0.261 3±0.050 83,respectively,and significantly higher than those of the controls(0.068 1±0.076 09,0.044 7±0.026 25,and 0.191 7±0.070 69)(P < 0.05 for all).The age and HPV16 infection status showed no correlation with promoter hypermethylation of C/EBPα gene(P > 0.05).Conclusion Hypermethylation of CpG islands,especially of CpG_1,CpG_5 and CpG_14.15 in the promoter of C/EBPα gene might lead to the silence of C/EBPα gene and therefore might relate to the pathogenesis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma in Uighur women.