Abstract
BACKGROUND: Epigenetics is a rapidly evolving field of genetic study applicable to nearly every aspect of genome-related research. The importance of epigenetics has been recognised in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Changes in DNA methylation patterns, including global hypomethylation and promoter hypermethylation, are thought to be early events in hepatocarcinogenesis. OBJECTIVES: This review aimed to summarise the role of epigenetics in HCC, to describe the mechanisms of epigenetic changes in HCC and to examine the clinical relevance of epigenetics in HCC. METHODS: This review examines the role of CpG-rich regions and DNA methylation, and describes an epigenetic model of cancer, tumour type-specific methylation, the relationships among methylation, cirrhosis and hepatocarcinogenesis, and the role of DNA methylation in HCC. The clinical implications of epigenetics in HCC are discussed. RESULTS: A multivariate predictor model based on traditional clinical factors and DNA methylation profile may have important applications in the early detection of neoplastic transformation in populations at high risk for HCC. CpG methylation may be valuable in HCC prognostics. DNA methylation profiles may enable clinical prediction in pre-therapy patient biopsies, paraffin-embedded samples or plasma DNA. CONCLUSIONS: Epigenetic changes and profiles may correlate to the biological behaviour of tumours and clinical outcome of HCC patients. The use of DNA methylation profiles as a surrogate biomarker remains an active area of clinical cancer research.