Tahereh Dianat - Department of Biology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
Mohammad Naiem Aminifard - Department of Ophthalmology, Al-Zahra Eye Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Mohammad Arish - Department of Ophthalmology, Al-Zahra Eye Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Mohammad Hussein Sangtrash - Department of Biology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
Robab Poyandeh - Department of Biology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

< p>Background: It is not thoroughly clear that what is the exact etiology of pterygium. Recently, it has been illustrated that pterygium is a benign and destructive condition. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between promoter hypermethylation of P۱۵INK۴band P۱۶INK۴a genes on progress of pterygium. Materials and methods: We extracted DNA from ۸۱ primary pterygium and ۷۵ normal conjunctiva tissues. Methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) technique was used to analyze of promoter hypermethylation of P۱۵INK۴b and P۱۶INK۴a genes. The expression levels ofthesegenes were also assessed in mRNA from ۲۳ pterygium and ۱۸ normal conjunctiva tissue samples using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR.  Results: The frequency of methylation for P۱۵INK۴b was ۹۷.۵% and ۷۲% among cases and controls respectively. P۱۶INK۴ gene methylation at promoter was ۶۹.۱% and ۳۳.۳% for pterygium and normal conjunctiva tissue respectively. A statistically significant relationship was found for methylation of P۱۵INK۴b and P۱۶INK۴a genes between cases and controls (p

Pterygium, hypermethylation, Expression, P۱۵INK۴b Gene, P۱۶INK۴a Gene