Prognostic value of PLAGL1-specific CpG site methylation in soft-tissue sarcomas

PLoS One. 2013 Nov 15;8(11):e80741. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080741. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare, complex tumors with a poor prognosis. The identification of new prognostic biomarkers is needed to improve patient management. Our aim was to determine the methylation status of the 118 CpG sites in the PLAGL1 tumor-suppressor gene P1 CpG island promoter and study the potential prognostic impact of PLAGL1 promoter methylation CpG sites in STS. Training cohorts constituted of 28 undifferentiated sarcomas (US) and 35 leiomyosarcomas (LMS) were studied. PLAGL1 mRNA expression was investigated by microarray analysis and validated by RT-qPCR. Pyrosequencing was used to analyze quantitative methylation of the PLAGL1 promoter. Associations between global promoter or specific CpG site methylation and mRNA expression were evaluated using Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient. Cox univariate and multivariate proportional hazard models were used to assess the predictive power of CpG site methylation status. Sixteen CpG sites associated with PLAGL1 mRNA expression were identified in US and 6 in LMS. Statistical analyses revealed an association between CpG107 methylation status and both overall and metastasis-free survival in US, which was confirmed in a validation cohort of 37 US. The exhaustive study of P1 PLAGL1 promoter methylation identified a specific CpG site methylation correlated with mRNA expression, which was predictive for both metastasis-free and overall survival and may constitute the first US-specific biomarker. Such a biomarker may be relevant for identifying patients likely to derive greater benefit from treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics*
  • CpG Islands*
  • DNA Methylation*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Leiomyosarcoma / genetics
  • Leiomyosarcoma / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Prognosis
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Sarcoma / genetics*
  • Sarcoma / mortality
  • Sarcoma / pathology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Tumor Burden
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • PLAGL1 protein, human
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Transcription Factors
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale and the University of Bordeaux 2 Victor Segalen. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.