[Relationship between hypermethylation of Runx3 gene and the development and metastasis of laryngeal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationships between hypermethylation of human runt-related transcription factor 3 (Runx3) gene promoter and laryngeal squamous cell cancer. METHOD: Promoter hypermethylation and mRNA expression were detected by methylation-specific PCR and RT-PCR. RESULT: The expression of Runx3 gene mRNA detected in laryngeal carcinoma (1.62 +/- 1.01) was lower than that in adjacent tissues samples (5.66 +/- 2.07) (t = 10.72, P < 0.01). No methylation of Runx3 promoter was found in adjacent tissues samples. But hypermethylation was found in 95.0% (38/40) of the laryngeal carcinoma specimens. The rate of methylation of Runx3 promoter in laryngeal carcinoma was higher than that in adjacent tissues (P < 0.01). The Runx3 mRNA were down-regulated in lymphnode metastasis or poorly differentiated groups, but the Runx3 promoter methylation were detected in those groups markedly. CONCLUSION: Hypermethylation of Runx3 promoter is one of the inactivation re-seasons in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and the decreasing of Runx3 mRNA expression may be related to lymph node metastasis and development of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.