Assessment of RASSF2A Gene Methylation in Ovarian Cancer Patients by Methylation – Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction

Abstract

O varian cancer is the leading cause of gynaecologic cancer deaths among females and the poor survival rate of OC patients is due to the non-specific symptoms and the lack of sensitive and specific methods for the detection of early-stage OC. Despite using CA125 as a current screening measure combined with transvaginal ultrasound, mortality rates remain high. It is well known that both genetic and epigenetic events play a role in the development of OC. Methylation is the main epigenetic event in humans and plays an important role in tumorigenesis. DNA methylation occurs on the cytosine residues of cytosine guanine dinucleotides (CG dinucleotides), also designated as (cytosine phosphodinucleotides guanine) CpG. Enzymes known as DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) catalyse the addition of a methyl group to the cytosine ring to form methyl cytosine. Demethylating agents approved from food and drug administration (FDA) as 5-azacytidine and decitabine are used in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) treatment through inhibiting DNMT. The Ras association domain family (RASSF) genes comprises 10 members. They are tumor suppressor genes (TSG) that encode for Ras family effector proteins.