Abstract

ADONIS R, Waldo et al. Hypermethylation of gene p16^INK4a in Chilean Patients with Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma. Rev. chil. enferm. respir. [online]. 2006, vol.22, n.1, pp. 7-12. ISSN 0717-7348.  doi: 10.4067/S0717-73482006000100002.

The silencing of p16^INK4a (p16) tumor suppressor gene by aberrant methylation has been described as a common event in human tumoral types, such as squamous cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). This is a very frequent histological type in Chile, usually associated to chronic smokers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the p16 methylation status in patients with SCLC. Using a MSP (methylation-specific PCR), we determined that 25 out of 29 (86%) of SCLC patients had hypermethylation of p16 gene. There was also a significant concordance between hypermethylation of p16 gene and the presence of SCLC (p = 0.00005). According to our results, smokers have a 202-fold higher risk to develop SCLC than no-smokers (odds ratio, 201,7; 95% confidence interval, 7.18-5593). Therefore, our results suggest that hypermethylation of p16 gene is an useful prognostic marker in chronic smokers candidates to develop SCLC and patient with clinic suspicion of SCLC

Keywords : Aberrant methylation; p16 gene; squamous lung carcinoma; smokers.