gms | German Medical Science

62. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC)
Joint Meeting mit der Polnischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgen (PNCH)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) e. V.

07. - 11. Mai 2011, Hamburg

MGMT promoter methylation status in anaplastic meningiomas

Meeting Abstract

  • B. Brokinkel - Institut für Neuropathologie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Deutschland
  • B.R. Fischer - Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Deutschland
  • W. Stummer - Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Deutschland
  • W. Paulus - Institut für Neuropathologie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Deutschland
  • M. Hasselblatt - Institut für Neuropathologie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Deutschland

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Polnische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgen. 62. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Polnischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgen (PNCH). Hamburg, 07.-11.05.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. DocMI.04.02

doi: 10.3205/11dgnc200, urn:nbn:de:0183-11dgnc2007

Veröffentlicht: 28. April 2011

© 2011 Brokinkel et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

Objective: Anaplastic meningioma (grade III WHO) is characterized by aggressive biological behavior. After surgical resection, effective adjuvant chemotherapeutic concepts are lacking. Hypermethylation of the MGMT (O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase) promoter is an important prognostic marker and also predicts response to therapy with alkylating agents (e.g. temozolomide) in patients with malignant gliomas. Our goal was to examine MGMT methylation status in a large series of anaplastic meningiomas.

Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from anaplastic meningiomas diagnosed from 1989 to 2009 were retrieved from the archives of the Institute of Neuropathology Münster. In addition, available samples of formerly grade II or recurrent grade III tumors of these patients were also retrieved and reviewed neuropathologically according to current WHO criteria. After isolation and bisulfite conversion, DNA from representative tumor material was subjected to methylation-specific PCR.

Results: A total of 55 samples from 30 patients could be examined. The median age of the 17 females and 13 males was 66 years (range: 33–92 years). Eighty-five percent of the tumors were of supratentorial location. MGMT promoter methylation status was negative in all cases except for a single specimen. This 57-year-old male suffered from recurrent grade III meningioma, showing hypermethylation of the MGMT promoter region on repeated analyses. Using the same methodology, MGMT promoter methylation status was positive in 90 out of 194 malignant astrocytic tumors (46%).

Conclusions: Hypermethylation of the MGMT promoter is rare in anaplastic meningiomas. Even though the role of alkylating agents in the treatment of anaplastic meningiomas remains to be determined in future clinical trials, our data provide no rationale for the determination of MGMT methylation status in this context.