title: DNA methyltransferase-3 like protein expression in various histological types of testicular germ cell tumor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  DNA methyltransferase 3-like plays an important role in germ cell development. The aim of this study was to analyse the DNA methyltransferase 3-like protein expression in testicular germ cell tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The immunohistochemical expression of DNA methyltransferase 3-like was examined in 86 testicular germ cell tumor specimens in various clinical settings. The association between DNA methyltransferase 3-like expression and disease stage was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DNA methyltransferase 3-like was strongly expressed in seven of the eight pure embryonal carcinomas (87.5%). Partial DNA methyltransferase 3-like expression was observed in 6 of 23 (26.1%) pure seminomas. Various degrees of DNA methyltransferase 3-like expression was observed in all four pure yolk sac tumors, of which three were prepubertal yolk sac tumors. In mixed germ cell tumors, DNA methyltransferase 3-like protein was expressed in various degrees in elements of the embryonal carcinoma (14/18, 77.8%), seminoma (4/11, 36.4%), teratoma (4/7, 57.1%) and choriocarcinoma (3/3, 100%) but not in the yolk sac tumors (0/4). When DNA methyltransferase 3-like expression was analyzed according to disease stages, it was significantly correlated with advanced seminoma rather than Stage I seminoma (46.2 vs. 0%, P = 0.019), whereas there was no significant difference in the DNA methyltransferase 3-like-positive proportion between Stage I and advanced disease in the mixed germ cell tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that DNA methyltransferase 3-like protein may play roles not only in the development of embryonal carcinoma but also in the development of advanced pure seminoma and pure yolk sac tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba.
authors.forename: Taeko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba rkawa@md.tsukuba.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Pathology, Sapporo Medical University, School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shintaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba.
authors.forename: Shuya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kandori
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018236:Carcinoma, Embryonal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018240:Endodermal Sinus Tumor / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D018239:Seminoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D013724:Teratoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases
keywords: AFP; DNMT3l; embryonal carcinoma; seminoma