MGMT promoter hypermethylation and K-RAS, PTEN and TP53 mutations in tamoxifen-exposed and non-exposed endometrial cancer cases.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tamoxifen has anti-oestrogenic and anti-tumour activity in the breast, but is oestrogenic and carcinogenic in the endometrium. It can induce experimental tumours by both hormonal and DNA-damaging mechanisms, but its carcinogenic mode of action in human endometrium remains unclear.

Methods

We investigated whether an epigenetic mechanism, involving promoter hypermethylation of the gene for the DNA repair enzyme MGMT (O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase), was associated with K-RAS, TP53 and PTEN mutations in endometrial tumours from women treated with tamoxifen (TAM, n=30) or unexposed to the drug (EC, n=38).

Results

There were significant (P<0.05) differences in tumour grade between the TAM and EC groups, with more favourable morphology in the latter. K-RA

SUBMITTER: Nagy E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4056065 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature