Advances in association between DNA methylation with environmental exposure in lung cancer / 肿瘤

ABSTRACT

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors and has higher morbidity and mortality world-wide. The genetic and environmental risk factors play important role in the process of tumorigenesis and cancer development. Cigarette smoking and some other environmental risk factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of lung cancer, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, particulate matter and occupational exposure. Studies have shown that epigenetic mechanism such as DNA methylation plays an essential role in relationship between lung cancer and the environmental risk factors. Aberrant DNA methylation is considered to be an early event during the process of lung cancer occurrence. This paper summarizes the recent studies on association of lung cancer and aberrant DNA methylation of genes induced by several common environmental factors including smoking, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and particulate matter. Further understanding of DNA methylation in linking mechanism between lung cancer and environmental risk factors will help to clarify the pathogenesis and development of lung cancer. Moreover, abnormal DNA methylation induced by environment factors may be a potential epigenetic biomarker for early diagnosis and prognostic prediction of lung cancer.