CpG Island Methylator Phenotype (cpg + island_methylator_phenotype)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Bone morphogenic protein 3 inactivation is an early and frequent event in colorectal cancer development

GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 6 2008
Kim Loh
Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) are members of the TGFB growth factor superfamily with well-described functions in bone formation. Although disrupted BMP signalling in tumor development has more recently been investigated, a role for BMP3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) has remained largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate BMP3 disruption in CRCs in relation to both the traditional and serrated pathways of tumor progression. BMP3 was down-regulated as assessed by real-time PCR in 50 of 56 primary tumors (89%). Bisulfite sequencing of the putative promoter revealed extensive hypermethylation in the cell line HT29, in which expression could be restored by treatment with a methyltransferase inhibitor. Aberrant hypermethylation was observed in 33/60 (55%) tumors and was highly correlated with microsatellite instability (P < 0.01), the CpG Island Methylator Phenotype (P < 0.01), BRAF oncogene mutation (P < 0.01), and proximal location (P < 0.001). Methylation was also frequently observed in serrated and traditional adenomatous polyps (22/29, 76%). Re-introduction of BMP3 into cell lines revealed marked growth suppression supporting the functional relevance of this alteration in colorectal tumor development. This study provides molecular and functional data supporting the importance of BMP3 silencing as an early and frequent event in colorectal tumors progressing via the serrated and traditional pathways. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


The MLH1 ,93 G>A promoter polymorphism and genetic and epigenetic alterations in colon cancer

GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 10 2008
Wade S. Samowitz
The MLH1 ,93 G>A promoter polymorphism has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of microsatellite unstable colorectal cancer. Other than microsatellite instability, however, the genetic and most epigenetic changes of tumors associated with this polymorphism have not been studied. We evaluated associations between the ,93 G>A polymorphism and CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), BRAF V600E mutations, and MLH1 methylation in tumors from a sample of 1,211 individuals with colon cancer and 1,968 controls from Utah, Northern California, and Minnesota. The ,93 G>A polymorphism was determined by the five prime nuclease assay. CIMP was determined previously by methylation-specific PCR of CpG islands in MLH1, methylated in tumors (MINT)1, MINT2, MINT31, and CDKN2A (p16). The BRAF V600E mutation was determined by sequencing exon 15. The MLH1 ,93 G>A promoter polymorphism was associated with CIMP (odds ratio (OR) 3.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.85, 6.42), MLH1 methylation (OR 4.16, 95%CI 2.20, 7.86), BRAF mutations (OR 4.26, 95%CI 1.83, 9.91), and older age at diagnosis (OR 3.65, 95%CI 2.08, 6.39) in microsatellite unstable tumors. These associations were not observed in stable tumors. Increased age at diagnosis and tumor characteristics of microsatellite unstable tumors associated with MLH1 ,93 G>A suggests the polymorphism is acting at a relatively late stage of colorectal carcinogenesis to drive CIMP+ tumors down the microsatellite instability pathway. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Differential involvement of the hypermethylator phenotype in hereditary and sporadic colorectal cancers with high-frequency microsatellite instability

GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 3 2002
Hiroyuki Yamamoto
High-frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-H) due to defective DNA mismatch repair occurs in the majority of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancers (HNPCCs) and in a subset of sporadic malignant tumors. Clinicopathologic and genotypic features of MSI-H colorectal tumors in HNPCC patients and those in sporadic cases are very similar but not identical. Correlation between the MSI phenotype and aberrant DNA methylation has been highlighted recently. A strong association between MSI and CpG island methylation has been well characterized in sporadic colorectal cancers with MSI-H but not in those of hereditary origin. To address the issue, we analyzed hereditary and sporadic colorectal cancers for aberrant DNA methylation of target genes using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. DNA methylation of the MLH1, CDKN2A, MGMT, THBS1, RARB, APC, and p14ARF genes was found in 0%, 23%, 10%, 3%, 73%, 53%, and 33% of 30 MSI-H cancers in HNPCC patients and in 80%, 55%, 23%, 23%, 58%, 35%, and 50% of 40 sporadic colorectal cancers with MSI-H, respectively. Cases showing methylation at three or more loci of six genes other than MLH1 were defined as CpG island methylator phenotype,positive (CIMP+), and 23% of HNPCC tumors and 53% of sporadic cancers with MSI-H were CIMP+ (P = 0.018). Differences in the extent of CpG island methylation, coupled with the differential involvement of several genes by methylation, in HNPCC tumors and sporadic MSI-H colorectal cancers may be associated with diverging developmental pathways in hereditary and sporadic cancers despite similar MSI-H phenotypes. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Alterations of DNA methylation and clinicopathological diversity of human cancers

PATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 9 2008
Yae Kanai
Alterations of DNA methylation can account for the histological heterogeneity, reflected in the stepwise progression and complex biological characteristics of human cancers, that genetic alterations alone cannot explain. Analysis of DNA methylation status in tissue samples can be an aid to understanding the molecular mechanisms of multistage carcinogenesis. Human cancer cells show a drastic change in DNA methylation status, that is, overall DNA hypomethylation and regional DNA hypermethylation, which results in chromosomal instability and silencing of tumor-suppressor genes. Overexpression of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 1 is not a secondary result of increased cell proliferative activity but may underline the CpG island methylator phenotype of cancers. Splicing alteration of DNMT3B may result in chromosomal instability through DNA hypomethylation of pericentromeric satellite regions. Alterations of DNA methylation are observed even in the precancerous stage frequently associated with chronic inflammation and/or persistent viral infection or with cigarette smoking. Precancerous conditions showing alterations of DNA methylation may generate more malignant cancers. Aberrant DNA methylation is significantly associated with aggressiveness of cancers and poorer outcome of cancer patients. Genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation status based on array-based technology may identify DNA methylation profiles that can be used as appropriate indicators for carcinogenetic risk estimation and prognostication. [source]


Senescence and serration: a new twist to an old tale

THE JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
P Minoo
Abstract Interest in the role of oncogene-induced senescence in tumorigenesis is mounting. Raf-associated senescence in cutaneous nevi has been advanced as an example of this process occurring in the context of a human tumour. In this model, conversion from a senescent nevus to a malignant melanoma is accompanied by loss of expression of p16. Serrated polyps of the colorectum may provide a further example of oncogene-induced senescence. BRAF and KRAS mutation may initiate different pathways of senescence-associated serrated neoplasia in the colorectum, the former linked to CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP)-high (CIMP1) and microsatellite instability (MSI)-high status and the latter with CIMP-low (CIMP2) and MSI-low status. The role of methylation in both Raf- and Ras-associated pathways is to drive tumorigenesis by silencing pro-apoptotic and cell cycle inhibitory genes. Both pathways are associated with mutation of Ras-induced senescence 1 (RIS1), but the biological role of RIS1 requires further elucidation. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Distinct promoter hypermethylation of p16INK4a, CDH1, and RAR-beta in intestinal, diffuse,adherent, and diffuse,scattered type gastric carcinomas

THE JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
Naohide Oue
Abstract Hypermethylation of CpG islands in gene promoters is associated with silencing of various tumour suppressor genes. Recent studies of colorectal and gastric carcinomas have defined a CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), which involves the targeting of multiple genes by promoter hypermethylation. In this study, methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to study methylation of CpG islands in the promoters of the p16INK4a, cadherin 1 (CDH1), and retinoic acid receptor-beta (RAR-beta) genes in 45 gastric carcinomas and to investigate whether CDH1 and RAR-beta promoter hypermethylation is associated with CIMP-positive gastric carcinoma. CpG island hypermethylation of the p16INK4a, CDH1, and RAR-beta promoters was detected in 12 (27%), 26 (58%), and 24 (53%) of the 45 gastric carcinomas, respectively. Hypermethylation of the p16INK4a promoter was more common in intestinal type than in diffuse type gastric carcinomas (p = 0.0023; Fisher's exact test) and was inversely associated with p53 mutations (p = 0.0225; Fisher's exact test). However, CDH1 and RAR-beta promoter hypermethylation was observed more frequently in diffuse,scattered type gastric carcinoma than in other types (intestinal and diffuse,adherent types) (p = 0.0175 and p = 0.0335, respectively; Fisher's exact test) and was not associated with p53 mutation status. Moreover, hypermethylation of the CDH1 and RAR-beta promoters occurred concordantly (p < 0.0001; Fisher's exact test). These results suggest that at least two types of promoter methylation status are involved in the development of the intestinal (p16INK4a promoter hypermethylation) and diffuse,scattered types (CDH1 and RAR-beta promoter hypermethylation) of gastric carcinoma. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Genetic and epigenetic classifications define clinical phenotypes and determine patient outcomes in colorectal cancer,

BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 10 2009
J. A. Sanchez
Background: A molecular classification of colorectal cancer has been proposed based on microsatellite instability (MSI), CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), and mutations in the KRAS and BRAF oncogenes. This study examined the prevalence of these molecular classes, and differences in clinical presentation and outcome. Methods: Demographics, tumour characteristics and survival were recorded for 391 subjects with colorectal cancer. Tumour DNA was analysed for MSI (high (MSI-H) or microsatellite stable (MSS)), CIMP (high (CIMP-H) or no (CIMP-neg)) and BRAF and KRAS mutations. Clinical differences between four phenotypes were examined. Results: Most tumours were MSS/CIMP-neg (69·8 per cent), with a nearly equal distribution of MSI-H/CIMP-H, MSI-H/CIMP-neg and MSS/CIMP-H types. MSS/CIMP-neg tumours were less likely to be poorly differentiated (P = 0·009). CIMP-H tumours were more common in older patients (P < 0·001). MSI-H/CIMP-H tumours had a high frequency of BRAF mutation and a low rate of KRAS mutation; the opposite was true for MSS/CIMP-neg tumours (P < 0·001). The four molecular phenotypes tended towards divergent survival (P = 0·067 for stages 1,III). MSI-H cancers were associated with better disease-free survival (hazard ratio 2·00 (95 per cent confidence interval 1·03 to 3·91); P = 0·040). Conclusion: Colorectal cancers are molecularly and clinically heterogeneous. These different molecular phenotypes may reflect variable prognosis. Copyright © 2009 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]