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DNA methyltransferase 1, 3a, and 3b expression in hepatitis C associated human hepatocellular carcinoma and their clinicopathological association

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Tumor Biology

Abstract

Identification of biomarker will obligate a substantial influence on various cancer management and treatment. We hypothesize that genetic/proteomic and epigenetic studies should be uncovering modifications which may be independently or jointly affect the expression of the genes that are involved in the progression of liver cancer (LC). For this purpose, we examined the effect of expressional changes of DNMTs on HCV infected LC of different genotypes. We found that both mRNA and protein expression levels of DNMT1, 3a, and 3b were upregulated in genotype 1b and 3a HCV infected patients as compared to control. However, DNMT3b mRNA levels did not change in genotypes 2a, 3, and 4, but were upregulated at the protein level by genotype 1b, 2a, and 3a. Furthermore, no significant changes were observed for DNMTs investigated in sample expressing the genotypes 5 and 6. Our findings suggest that HCV at least in part by altering DNMTs expression may play a significant role in HCC progression.

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Acknowledgments

We graciously thank Dr. N. Kabir (Panjwani Center, ICCBS, and University of Karachi-Pakistan) for providing the facility of immunohistochemistry.

The authors also thank Dr. Abid Ali (HEJ, University of Karachi) and Kamran Syed (Chemical House) for providing 2DE facility. A part of this study was performed at the Industrial Biotechnology Department of The Karachi Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, (KIBGE), University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.

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Correspondence to Rizma Khan.

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Siddiqui, N.N., ul Haq, A., Siddiqui, O.A. et al. DNA methyltransferase 1, 3a, and 3b expression in hepatitis C associated human hepatocellular carcinoma and their clinicopathological association. Tumor Biol. 37, 10487–10497 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-016-4941-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-016-4941-1

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