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Updated: Jan 2, 2026

Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer
Published on: September 18, 2020
MGMT promoter methylation is a rare epigenetic change in malignant effusions
Marta Brunetti1,2,3, Ioannis Panagopoulos1, Francesca Micci1
1Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to analyse the promoter methylation status of the gene O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) in malignant effusions, with focus on serous carcinoma.
Methods:
Fresh-frozen cell pellets from 81 effusions (42 peritoneal, 38 pleural, one pericardial), consisting of 71 carcinomas of different origin (33 ovarian, 23 breast, six lung, five uterine corpus and four cervical carcinomas) and 10 malignant mesotheliomas, were analysed for MGMT methylation using pyrosequencing analysis.
Results:
MGMT methylation at all four cytosine-guanine dinucleotide sites examined was detected in only 2/81 (2%) specimens, consisting of a high-grade serous carcinoma with high frequency of methylation, and a breast carcinoma with low methylation frequency.
Conclusion:
The findings in the present study suggest that MGMT methylation is a rare epigenetic change in malignant effusions of different origin.
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