Methylation of the MGMT gene is frequently detected in advanced gastric carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Recently, Herfarth et al. reported that a subset of colorectal tumors was characterized by a specific methylation pattern in the MGMT promoter associated with reduced MGMT expression.


METHODS
Methylation status of the MGMT gene was examined in primary carcinomas and the corresponding normal tissues derived from 38 patients with gastric cancer using quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP) and the correlation between the methylation status and the clinicopathological findings was evaluated.


RESULTS
Aberrant methylation of the MGMT gene was detected in 4 out of the 38 (11%) primary gastric carcinomas, suggesting that the methylation of MGMT is observed in gastric carcinomas as well as colorectal ones. The clinicopathological data were correlated with the methylation results. A significant difference was observed in the extent of tumor (p=0.0470), lymph node metastasis (p=0.0470), and TNM stage (p=0.0377) (Table I). Moreover, a trend was shown toward large maximal tumor size in methylated tumors (p=0.134).


CONCLUSIONS
MGMT was more frequently methylated in advanced gastric carcinomas.
Hibi
Kenji
K
Department of Surgery, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, 1-30 Fujigaoka, Aoba-ku, Yokohama 227-8501, Japan. kenjih-ngy@umin.ac.jp
Sakata
Makiko
M
Yokomizo
Kazuaki
K
Kitamura
Yo-Hei
YH
Sakuraba
Kazuma
K
Shirahata
Atsushi
A
Goto
Tetsuhiro
T
Mizukami
Hiroki
H
Saito
Mitsuo
M
Ishibashi
Kazuyoshi
K
Kigawa
Gaku
G
Nemoto
Hiroshi
H
Sanada
Yutaka
Y
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000235:genetics*; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases; C515491:MGMT protein, human; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes