Quantitative Evaluation of NOD2 Promoter Methylation Profiling in Colon Biopsy Samples from Ulcerative Colitis Patients and Non-Colitis Controls

Golshid Sanati; Mehrdad Noruzinia; Davood Jafari; Mohammad Ahmadvand; Shahram Teimourian; Naser Ebrahimi Daryani; Sara Hanaei; Nima Rezaei

doi:10.18502/igj.v4i4.12757

Golshid Sanati Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehrdad Noruzinia Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Davood Jafari Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
Mohammad Ahmadvand Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Shahram Teimourian Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Naser Ebrahimi Daryani Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Sara Hanaei Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Nima Rezaei Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/igj.v4i4.12757

Keywords: DNA Methylation; Ulcerative Colitis; Epigenetics; NOD2; Biomarker

Abstract

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic chronic inflammatory disease of the colon with evidence addressing the role of epigenetic changes. The intention of this study was to detect the association of DNA methylation levels of NOD2 gene with UC and to evaluate whether any of these changes might be a useful biomarker for detecting patients with UC.

Methods: The methylation status of the promoter CpG islands (CGIs) of NOD2 gene was examined in the colonic mucosae of 15 cancer-free patients with UC and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy controls by the real-time quantitative multiplex-methylation specific PCR (QM-MSP) assay. Methylation-specific melting curve analysis (MS-MCA) were used to analyze the data.

Results: The median unmethylated DNA index was significantly higher in cases compared to controls, and hypormethylation of NOD2 gene was significantly correlated with UC (Unmethylated DNA in UC vs. HC; 0.102±0.055 vs. 0.025±0.016, P = 0.000).

Conclusion: The NOD2 gene that was differentially methylated in UC patients, providing new insights into the pathogenesis of UC, with a view to making steps toward the development of accurate biomarkers for diagnostic tools in UC.