Methylation status of TP73 in meningiomas

Deletions at 1p are frequent in meningioma and represent a genetic marker associated with the genesis of atypical WHO grade II forms. Previous mutational analysis of TP73, a structurally and functionally TP53 homologous gene located at 1p36.33, failed to demonstrate a significant rate of sequence variations linked to gene inactivation in meningiomas with 1p loss. As an alternative, TP73 may be inactivated through aberrant 5' CpG island methylation, a primary mechanism participating in the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes during tumorigenesis. We determined the methylation status of the TP73 gene in a series of 60 meningiomas (33 grade I, 24 grade II, and 3 grade III samples), including tumors with deletion at 1p (n=30) and with intact 1p (n=30). Aberrant methylation was detected in 10 cases (33%) with 1p deletion and in 3 tumors (10%) with retention of alleles at this chromosome arm. The distribution of the 13 cases of methylation according to malignancy grade was 7 grade I, 5 grade II, and 1 grade III tumor. Accordingly, although TP73 aberrant methylation was more frequent in meningiomas with 1p deletion (P<0.05), no association with the grade of malignancy could be established. These findings, together with the previously reported increased TP73 expression in malignant meningiomas suggest that opposing functions of this gene may characterize distinct subsets of tumors: suppressed or reduced expression as a result of CpG methylation in some grade I-grade II tumors, and enhanced expression in some more malignant forms.