Hypomethylation of the human HLA-DRα gene in breast carcinomas and autologous metastases

The methylation pattern of the human HLA-DRα gene was analyzed in normal breast tissues, breast primary tumors and lymphonodal metastases isolated from patients carrying breast carcinomas. In breast adenomas and also in normal tissues (including breast, muscle, brain, sperm and T- and B-lymphocytes), the HLA-DRα gene is hypermethylated at the CCGG and GCGC sites. In all tissues studied, the only constantly unmethylated region is located in the 5′ portion of the gene, near the promoter sequence. Further, the results indicate that the HLA-DRα gene is hypomethylated in carcinomas and in the relative metastatic lymph nodes. It is suggested that hypomethylation of the human HLA-DRα gene could be proposed as a molecular marker of malignant breast tumors.