METHYLATION OF P16 GENE IN HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES

Objective To investigate the incidence of p16 gene methylation in hema tological malignancies, and the relations between p16 gene methylation and the prognosis of hematological malignancies. Methods Fifty-five p atients were studied by restriction enzyme polymerase chain reaction ( PCR) to detect p16 gene methylation. Results p16 gene methylation was detected in 6 of 55 patients (10.9%), who were 1 patient with M2a, 1 p atient with M5a, 2 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in blast crisis, 1 patient with progressing multiple myeloma (MM), 1 wit h non-Hogkin's lymphoma(NHL) accompanied by B-ALL, respectively, p16 g ene methylation correlates with adverse prognostic features. The patie nts with p16 gene methylation had poor response to therapy, and died s hortly after p16 gene methylation was detected. Conclusion The methyla tion of p16 gene plays an improtant role in the pathogenesis and the d evelopment of some hematological malignancies. The patients with p16 g ene methylation have poor prognosis. The detection of p16 gene is a us eful tool for evaluating prognosis of hematological malignancies.