Hypermethylation of Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary hepatic tumor, is highly prevalent in the Asia-Pacific region, including Thailand. Many genetic and epigenetic alterations in HCC have been elucidated. Theaim of this study was to determine whether aberrant methylation of the suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 gene(SOCS1) occurs in HCCs. Methylation specific-PCR assays were performed to identify the methylation statusof SOCS1 in 29 tumors and their corresponding normal liver tissues. An abnormal methylation status wasdetected in 17 (59%), with a higher prevalence of aberrant SOCS1 methylation significantly correlating withHCC treated without chemotherapy (OR=0.04, 95%CI=0.01-0.31; P=0.001). This study suggests that epigeneticaberrant SOCS1 methylation may be a predictive marker for HCC patients.