Screening of Differential Promoter Hypermethylated Genes in Primary Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: Promoter hypermethylation leads to altered gene functions and may result in malignantcellular transformation. Thus, identification of biomarkers for hypermethylated genes could be useful fordiagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
Objectives: To screenhypermethylated genes with a microarray approach and to validate selected hypermethylated genes with themethylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSPCR). Materials and
Methods: Genome-wide analysis ofnormal oral mucosa and OSCC tissues was conducted using the Illumina methylation microarray. The specifieddifferential genes were selected and hypermethylation status was further verified with an independent cohortsample of OSCC samples. Candidate genes were screened using microarray assay and run by MSPCR analysis.
Results: TP73, PIK3R5, and CELSR3 demonstrated high percentages of differential hypermethylation status.
Conclusions: Our microarray screening and MSPCR approaches revealed that the signature candidates ofdifferentially hypermethylated genes may possibly become potential biomarkers which would be useful fordiagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets of OSCC in the near future.