title: Methylation of the MGMT gene is frequently detected in advanced gastric carcinoma.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, 1-30 Fujigaoka, Aoba-ku, Yokohama 227-8501, Japan. kenjih-ngy@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hibi
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokomizo
authors.forename: Yo-Hei
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakuraba
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shirahata
authors.forename: Tetsuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizukami
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: Gaku
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kigawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sanada
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases; C515491:MGMT protein, human; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes