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Updated: Jan 3, 2026
Methyl-binding DNA capture Sequencing for Patient Tissues
Published on: October 31, 2016
DNA methylation profiling to explore colorectal tumor differences according to menopausal hormone therapy use in
Sonja Neumeyer1,2, Odilia Popanda3, Katja Butterbach1,4
1Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Abstract:
Aim: Use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has been associated with a reduced risk for colorectal cancer, but mechanisms underlying this relationship are not well understood. In the colon, MHT appears to act through estrogen receptor β (ERβ) which may influence DNA methylation by binding to DNA. Using genome-wide methylation profiling data, we aimed to identify genes that may be differentially methylated according to MHT use. Materials & methods: DNA methylation was measured using Illumina HumanMethylation450k arrays in two independent tumor sample sets of colorectal cancer patients. Differential methylation was determined using R/limma. Results: In the discovery analysis, two CpG sites showed differential DNA methylation according to MHT use, both were not replicated. In stratified analyses, 342 CpG sites were associated with current MHT use only in ERβ-positive tumors. Conclusion: The suggestive findings of differential methylation according to current MHT use in ERβ-positive tumors warrant further investigation.
