Pyrosequencing quantified methylation level of miR-124 predicts shorter survival for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

• Published in: Clinical epigenetics Vol. 9; no. 1; p. 91
• Main Authors: Wang, Hong, Zhang, Tong-Tong, Jin, Song, Liu, Hong, Zhang, Xiang, Ruan, Chang-Geng, Wu, De-Pei, Han, Yue, Wang, Xiao-Qin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany BioMed Central Ltd 30-08-2017; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Care and treatment; Cell Line, Tumor; CpG Islands; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6 - genetics; Development and progression; DNA Methylation; Enzyme regulation; Female; Gene expression; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Humans; Male; MDS; Methylation; MicroRNA; MicroRNAs - genetics; Middle Aged; miR-124; Myelodysplastic syndromes; Myelodysplastic Syndromes - genetics; Prognosis; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Pyrosequencing; Sequence Analysis, DNA - methods; Survival Analysis; Young Adult; miR-124; Prognosis; Methylation; MDS; Pyrosequencing
• ISSN: 1868-7075; 1868-7083
• DOI: 10.1186/s13148-017-0388-5

Aberrant CpG island methylation has been increasingly recognized as a common event in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). To date, most of the previous studies of miR-124 in MDS have focused on epigenetic changes and little is known about the underlying mechanism through which miR-124 regulates
expression.
In the present study, we employed pyrosequencing analysis to quantify the methylation levels of upstream regions of the miR-124 genes (miR-124-1, miR-124-2 and miR-124-3) in 56 primary MDS patients. We found the three miR-124 genes were methylated in MDS patients. Univariate analysis revealed that the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, marrow blast count, karyotype, International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS), mean corpuscular volume, as well as high methylation of miR-124-1, miR-124-2 and miR-124-3 were significantly related to overall survival. In leukaemia-free survival, patients who were older and had an advanced WHO classification, high marrow blast counts, high IPSS risk and high methylation of miR-124-1 and miR-124-2 progressed rapidly to acute myeloid leukaemia. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that high methylation of miR-124-3 was an independent factor of overall survival. Median survival of patients with high miR-124-3 methylation was significantly shorter (7.6 months) than patients with low methylation (32.7 months;
 = 0.010). A functional study revealed that silencing of miR-124 resulted in upregulation of its target gene, cyclin dependent kinase
, which in turn promoted cell proliferation in the MDS cell line SKM-1.
High methylation of miR-124-3 predicts shorter survival for patients with MDS, which may be a useful prognostic marker in MDS.