Abstract:Objective To investigate the correlation between EPB41L3 gene methylation and cervical cancer progression.Methods Cervical tissues of patients with clinical chronic cervicitis, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer were collected. The methylation of EPB41L3 gene in the samples was detected by gene methylation-specific PCR amplification (MSP) kit. Taking the normal cervical epithelial cells as control, the methylation of EPB41L3 gene in HeLa and SiHa cervical cancer cell lines were detected by PCR. The expression levels of EPB41L3 gene in cervical cancer cell lines and normal cervical epithelial cell lines were detected by RT-PCR and western blotting. Cells were divided into four groups according to whether the demethylated drug 5-aza-2'-deoxygcitidine (5AZA) was used: HeLa group, HeLa+5AZA group, SiHa group, and SiHa+5AZA group. In addition, CCK8 assay was used to detect cell proliferation rate, Transwell assay was used to detect cell mobility, flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis rate in each group. Comparative analysis was performed between the groups.Results The methylation percentage of EPB41L3 in chronic cervicitis, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer was 6.67%, 73.33% and 93.33%, respectively. EPB41L3 methylation was detected in HeLa and SiHa cells. The expression of EPB41L3 in HeLa and SiHa cells was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.000 1, P=0.002 5). The cell proliferation rate of HeLa+5AZA group was significantly lower than that of HeLa+Control group (P=0.003 5), and that of SiHa+5AZA group was significantly lower than that of SiHa+Control group (P=0.006 0). The cell migration rate of HeLa+5AZA group was significantly lower than that of HeLa+Control group (P=0.000 9), and that of SiHa+5AZA group was significantly lower than that of SiHa+Control group (P=0.001 9). The cell apoptosis rate of HeLa+5AZA group was significantly higher than that of HeLa+Control group (P=0.002 4), and that of SiHa+5AZA group was significantly higher than that of SiHa+Control group (P=0.002 4).Conclusion EPB41L3 gene may lose its inhibitory effect on cervical cancer cells after methylation, and its expression level may be positively correlated with the progression of cervical cancer.