Promoter hypermethylation of the MEG3 (DLK1/MEG3) imprinted gene in multiple myeloma.
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.
Benetatos
Leonidas
L
Department of Hematology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece. benetatosleon@yahoo.com
Dasoula
Aggeliki
A
Hatzimichael
Eleftheria
E
Georgiou
Ioannis
I
Syrrou
Maria
M
Bourantas
Konstantinos L
KL
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
D007136:Immunoglobulins; C009823:M-proteins (Myeloma); C498907:MEG3 non-coding RNA, human; D011506:Proteins; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding