Originally published as JCO Early Release 10.1200/JCO.2005.03.163 on March 7 2005

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Promoter Hypermethylation Is Associated With Tumor Location, Stage, and Subsequent Progression in Transitional Cell Carcinoma

From the Academic Urology Unit, Institute for Cancer Studies, and Academic Pathology Unit, University of Sheffield; Department of Pathology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Départements d'Urologie, Universités Paris, Paris, France

Address reprint requests to James Catto, MD, Academic Urology Unit, K Floor, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Rd, Sheffield, S10 2JF United Kingdom; e-mail: J.Catto{at}sheffield.ac.uk

PURPOSE: Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is a pan-urothelial disease characterized by multiplicity. Although little is known about the molecular events in upper-tract TCC, similar carcinogenic mechanisms are thought to occur throughout the urinary tract. However, we have previously shown that distinct patterns of microsatellite instability occur in upper and lower urinary tract TCC, suggesting biologic differences between these tumors. Here we investigate the extent of promoter hypermethylation in TCC throughout the urinary tract.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tissue was obtained from 280 patients (median follow-up, 56 months) whose tumors comprised 116 bladder and 164 upper-tract tumors (UTT). Analysis for hypermethylation at 11 CpG islands, using methylation-sensitive polymerase chain reaction and bisulfite sequencing, was performed for each sample and compared with the tumor's clinicopathologic details, microsatellite instability status, and subsequent behavior.

RESULTS: Promoter methylation was present in 86% of TCC and occurred both more frequently and more extensively in UTT (94%) than in bladder tumors (76%; P < .0001). Methylation was associated with advanced tumor stage (P = .0001) and higher tumor progression (P = .03) and mortality rates (P = .04), when compared with tumors without methylation. Multivariate analysis revealed that methylation at the RASSF1A and DAPK loci, in addition to tumor stage and grade, were associated with disease progression (P < .04).

CONCLUSION: Despite morphologic similarities, there are genetic and epigenetic differences between TCC in the upper and lower urinary tracts. Methylation occurs commonly in urinary tract tumors, may affect carcinogenic mechanisms, and is a prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target.

Supported by grants from the Medical Research Council, the 2000 British Urological Foundation/Merck Sharpe, and Dohme Scholarship and Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Presented in part at the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, March 27-31, 2004, Orlando, FL, and the Annual Meeting of the British Association of Urological Surgeons, June 21-25, 2004.

Authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest are found at the end of this article.

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