Abstract: To explore the relationship between the gene promoter methylation of ITFTM1 gene and the cervical cancer of HPV18 specific PCR were used to analyze the 40 normal and 40 cervical cancer tissues of Xinjiang Uigur women. The relationship between the methylation and infection was also investigated in 40 cervical cancer tissues. RT-PCR was used to analyze IFITM1 gene mRNA expression in 10 methlation positive and 10 methylation negative cervical tissues. Results The methylation frequency of IFITM1 was 31/40 in cervical cancer, however, it was only 3/40 in normal cervical tissues. The corresponding infection frequency of HPV16 and HPV18 (High-risk HPV, hr-HPV ) is 27/40 and 5/40. IFITM1 gene showed a higher methylation frequency in hr-HPV positive cervix compared with the hr-HPV negative cervix (P<0.05). The IFITM1 gene mRNA expression level was more decreased in the 10 methylation positive cervical tissues than the 10 methylation negative cervical tissues(P<0.01). Conclusion The hypermethylated IFITM1 may be the critical marker of cervical cancer that was related to the hr-HPV and had the potential for the early cervical cancer screening.

Key words: IFITM1 gene, Xinjiang Uigur women, gene promoter methylation, HPV, cervical cancer