RUNX3 promoter region is specifically methylated in poorly-differentiated colorectal cancer

It has recently become clear that RUNX3 expression is frequently silenced by aberrant methylation in gastric cancers. In this study, we investigated the methylation status of the RUNX3 gene in 92 resected primary colorectal cancers using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and correlated the results with the clinicopathological features of affected patients.

Aberrant promoter methylation of the RUNX3 gene was detected in 31 out of 92 (34%) colorectal cancers. A significant difference in histology (p = 0.028) was also found on comparing the RUNX3 methylation of poorly-differentiated colorectal cancers to that of other differentiated ones.

RUNX3 aberrant methylation might play an important role in colorectal cancers, especially in poorly-differentiated colorectal cancers.