title: Promoter hypermethylation of the MEG3 (DLK1/MEG3) imprinted gene in multiple myeloma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Methylation represents the most studied epigenetic modification and results in the silencing of genes involved in various processes such as differentiation and cell-cycle regulation. MEG3 represents an imprinted gene maternally expressed in humans that encodes a nontranslated product. In this survey, we studied the methylation status of the specific gene in multiple myeloma (MM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients with MM (17 with immunoglobulin [Ig] G, 3 with IgA, and 1 with IgM) were evaluated using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (after DNA bisulphite modification).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Promoter hypermethylation was observed in 12 (57.14%) bone marrow samples and in 9 of 14 (64.28%) available peripheral blood samples. A correlation with disease stage was also observed and also with the disease subtype (IgG, 64.7%; IgA, 0; IgM, 100%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that promoter hypermethylation of the differentially methylated region of the MEG3 imprinted gene is observed in patients with MM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece. benetatosleon@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Leonidas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benetatos
authors.forename: Aggeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dasoula
authors.forename: Eleftheria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hatzimichael
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Syrrou
authors.forename: Konstantinos L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Bourantas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; C009823:M-proteins (Myeloma); C498907:MEG3 non-coding RNA, human; D011506:Proteins; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding