title: Aberrant genes promoter methylation in neural crest-derived tumors.
abstract: Disturbances in the epigenetic landscape by aberrant methylation of CpG islands can lead to inactivation of cancer-related genes in solid tumors. We analyzed the promoter methylation status of 6 genes previously reported as cancer-specific methylated (MCAM, SSBP2, NISCH, B4GALT1, KIF1A and RASSF1A) in 38 neural crest-derived tumors by quantitative methylation-specific real-time PCR (QMSP). The results demonstrated that the determination of the methylation status of RASSF1A is able to distinguish between normal and tumor samples in cutaneous melanomas, lung carcinoids and small bowel carcinoids. MCAM methylation levels were significantly higher in lung carcinoids tumors (p=0.001), suggesting that this alteration may represent a molecular biomarker in this tumor type.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Oncology, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: la Torre
authors.forename: Lucia Anna
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Muscarella
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parrella
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Balsamo
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bisceglia
authors.forename: Vanna Maria
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Valori
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: la Torre
authors.forename: Raffaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barbano
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perrella
authors.forename: Maria Luana
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Poeta
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Melchionda
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Merla
authors.forename: Evaristo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maiello
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pellicano
authors.forename: Vito Michele
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Fazio
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019175:DNA Methylation; D057890:Epigenomics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C411762:RASSF1 protein, human; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins