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  • Original Paper
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Distinct CpG methylation profiles characterize different clinical groups of neuroblastic tumors

Oncogene volume 24, pages 5619–5628 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

The hypermethylation of CpG islands within gene promoter regions is an epigenetic phenomenon that is often, but not always, associated with the transcriptional silencing of downstream genes and contributes to carcinogenesis. We have determined the pattern of methylation of several genes involved in distinct biological pathways, including cell proliferation and apoptosis, in neuroblastoma and in the nonmalignant ganglioneuroma. The purpose of this work was to search for epigenetic signatures that could be associated with defined clinical and biological parameters and that, in prospective, could identify specific risk categories among the patients. We have analysed 31 malignant neuroblastoma with or without MYCN amplification and 13 benign ganglioneuroma and we have observed dramatic differences in the methylation pattern of five genes (CASP8, 14.3.3σ, ΔN-p73, RASSF1A and DCR2) between these tumors indicating that this phenomenon is not tissue-specific and can be considered as cancer-dependent. Furthermore, the methylation pattern of 14.3.3σ, RASSF1A and of an intragenic segment of CASP8 was significantly different between MYCN amplified and single copy neuroblastoma suggesting a specific role of epigenetic alterations in aggressive neuroblastoma.

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Acknowledgements

Barbara Banelli is a fellow of the Fondazione Italiana per la Lotta al Neuroblastoma, Ilaria Gelvi is a Fellow of the Fondazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (FIRC). This work was supported by grants from the Fondazione Italiana per la Lotta al Neuroblastoma and the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC) and by the Ministero della Salute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Experimental Oncology ‘C’, Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, IST-Genova. Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova, 16132, Italy

    Barbara Banelli, Ilaria Gelvi, Angela Di Vinci, Ida Casciano, Giorgio Allemanni & Massimo Romani

  2. Translational Paediatric Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, IST-Genova. Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova, 16132, Italy

    Paola Scaruffi & Gian Paolo Tonini

  3. Environmental Epidemiology and Biostatistic Laboratory, Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, IST-Genova. Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova, 16132, Italy

    Stefano Bonassi

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  1. Barbara Banelli
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  2. Ilaria Gelvi
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  3. Angela Di Vinci
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Correspondence to Massimo Romani.

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Banelli, B., Gelvi, I., Di Vinci, A. et al. Distinct CpG methylation profiles characterize different clinical groups of neuroblastic tumors. Oncogene 24, 5619–5628 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1208722

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