Prognostic significance of the methylation of Wnt pathway antagonists—CXXC4 DACT2 and the inhibitors of sonic hedgehog signaling—ZIC1 ZIC4 and HHIP in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

摘要

ObjectivesAberrations in Wnt and Shh signaling pathways are related to the pathogenesis of head and neck carcinomas, and their activation frequently results from epigenetic alterations. This study aimed to assess the frequency of methylation of negative regulators of Wnt signaling: CXXC4, DACT2, HDPR1, and FBXW11 and Shh signaling: HHIP, PTCH1, SUFU, ZIC1, and ZIC4 and correlate it with clinicopathological features in this group of patients.