PTCH1 and gastric cancer: Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the immunocytochemical S-P method were used to identify the changes in PTCH1 mRNA and protein expression prior to and following the treatment of the AGS human gastric cancer cell line with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dc), a methylation inhibitor.