Higher methylation levels in the normal mucosa were associated with the male gender for WIF1, SFRP1 and MGMT, which confirms the nonsignificant indication for male-associated methylation of MGMT observed by Shen et al (2005), but contradicts a recent report that the female gender was generally associated with higher CGI methylation levels in the normal mucosa of cancer patients (Kawakami et al, 2006). The gene discussed is WIF1; the disease is cancer.