title: Alterations of global histone H4K20 methylation during prostate carcinogenesis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Global histone modifications have been implicated in the progression of various tumour entities. Our study was designed to assess global methylation levels of histone 4 lysine 20 (H4K20me1-3) at different stages of prostate cancer (PCA) carcinogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Global H4K20 methylation levels were evaluated using a tissue microarray in patients with clinically localized PCA (n = 113), non-malignant prostate disease (n = 27), metastatic hormone-naive PCA (mPCA, n = 30) and castration-resistant PCA (CRPC, n = 34). Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess global levels of H4K20 methylation levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Similar proportions of the normal, PCA, and mPCA prostate tissues showed strong H4K20me3 staining. CRPC tissue analysis showed the weakest immunostaining levels of H4K20me1 and H4K20me2, compared to other prostate tissues. H4K20me2 methylation levels indicated significant differences in examined tissues except for normal prostate versus PCA tissue. H4K20me1 differentiates CRPC from other prostate tissues. H4K20me1 was significantly correlated with lymph node metastases, and H4K20me2 showed a significant correlation with the Gleason score. However, H4K20 methylation levels failed to predict PSA recurrence after radical prostatectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  H4K20 methylation levels constitute valuable markers for the dynamic process of prostate cancer carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Urologie und Kinderurologie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Turang E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Behbahani
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kahl
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: von der Gathen
authors.forename: Lukas C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Heukamp
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gütgemann
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hofstädter
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bastian
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Ruecker
authors.forename: Stefan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rogenhofer
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ellinger
mesh_terms: D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones