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OBJECTIVE DNA methylation has been regarded as an important epigenetic signature reflecting the transcription state of DNA in cells. This study was to conducted to assess the relationship between human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) gene expression and the DNA methylation status of the promoter region in three different cells, namely two human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and normal human fibroblasts.METHODS Transcription of the AFP gene was verified by RT-PCR. After bisulphate treatment of DNA, the methods of MSP and BSP were used to analyze the methylation density and status within single DNA strands of two closely spaced CpG dinucleotides of the promoter region in the different cells.RESULTS RT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression of the AFP gene in HepG2 cells was significantly higher than in SMMC-7721 cells,and that the AFP gene was not expressed in normal human fibroblasts.By MSP and BSP we observed that the promoter region was demethylated in the AFP-high-expressing cell lines, and that the sites of -2,494 bp and -2,431 bp in the AFP genomic sequence can be used as detection sites for early tumorous diagnosis.CONCLUSION These results indicate that the DNA methylation state of the promoter region has a negative correlation with AFP gene expression.