Association of aberrant methylation at promoter regions of tumor suppressor genes with placental pathologies.

Aim: The resemblance between invasive behavior of cancer cells and placental trophoblasts and the role of aberrant epigenetic regulation in cancer development is well known.

Methods: We analyzed the role of promoter region CpG-methylation and H3K9/27me3 of tumor suppressor genes in normal and pathological pregnancies and utilized their CpG-methylation data to search for fetal DNA epigenetic marker in maternal blood.

Results: CpG and H3K9/27-methylation associated decreased expression of RASSF1A and APC and increased expression of P16, RB1 and PRKCDBP was observed with advancing normal gestation. Gestational trophoblastic diseases and preeclampsia revealed gene-specific epigenetic deregulation of candidate tumor suppressor genes. Furthermore, APC and PRKCDBP showed the potential to act as fetal DNA epigenetic markers, similar to RASSF1A.

Conclusion: Deregulation of methylation of tumor suppressor genes contributes to the development of preeclampsia and gestational trophoblastic diseases. APC and PRKCDBP may act as fetal DNA epigenetic markers for prenatal diagnosis.