title: Aberrant CpG islands hypermethylation profiles in malignant gliomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors analyzed whether the promoter hypermethylation of cancer-related genes was involved in the tumorigenesis of malignant gliomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 29 patients received surgery and histologically confirmed to have malignant gliomas from January 2000 to December 2006. The promoter methylation status of several genes, which were reported to be frequently methylated in malignant gliomas, was investigated using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All cases of malignant gliomas represented the promoter hypermethylation in at least 2 or more genes tested. Of 29 tumors, 28 (96.55%) showed concurrent hypermethylation of 3 or more genes. Ras association domain family member 1, epithelial cadherin, O-6 methyl guanine DNA methyltransferase, thrombospondin 1, p14 and adenomatous polyposis coli were frequently methylated in high grade gliomas including glioblastomas, anaplastic astrocytomas, and anaplastic oligodendrogliomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aberrant hypermethylation profile was closely related with malignant gliomas suggesting that epigenetic change may play a role in the development of malignant gliomas. Two or three target genes may provide useful clues to the development of the useful prognostic as well as diagnostic assays for malignant gliomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Ryeol
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Ealmaan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Ik
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Son
keywords: Brain neoplasms; CpG island; Epigenomics; Methylation