Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in precancerous conditions and cancers

Alterations of DNA methylation, which result in chromosomal instability and silencing of tumor-related genes, are among the most consistent epigenetic changes observed in human cancers. Analysis of tissue specimens has revealed that DNA methylation alterations participate in multistage carcinogenesis, even from the early and precancerous stages, especially in association with chronic inflammation and/or persistent viral infection, such as chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis resulting from infection with hepatitis B or C virus. DNA methylation alterations can account for the histological heterogeneity and clinicopathological diversity of human cancers. Overexpression of DNA methyltransferase 1 is not a secondary result of increased cell proliferative activity, but is significantly correlated with accumulation of DNA hypermethylation in CpG islands of tumor-related genes. Alteration of DNA methyltransferase 3b splicing may result in chromosomal instability through DNA hypomethylation in pericentromeric satellite regions. Genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation status has revealed that the DNA methylation profile at the precancerous stage is basically inherited by the corresponding cancers developing in individual patients. DNA methylation status is not simply altered at the precancerous stage; rather, DNA methylation alterations at the precancerous stage may confer vulnerability to further genetic and epigenetic alterations, generate more malignant cancers, and thus determine patient outcome. Therefore, genome-wide DNA methylation profiling may provide optimal indicators for carcinogenetic risk estimation and prognostication, and thus provide an avenue for cancer prevention and therapy on an individual basis.