뇌종양에서 MGMT의 발현과 항암화학방사선 치료 결과의 예측가능성에 대한 연구

Abstract

O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) depletion in cancer is prone to DNA damage from alkylating agents. Evidences suggested that the depletion of DNA repair protein MGMT by the promoter methylation might be associated with improved survival in glioblastomas treated with radiotherapy alone or in combination with alkylating agents. In this study, we therefore investigated the clinical significances of immunohistochemical MGMT expression in brain tumor treated with RT (radiotherapy) in combination with alkylating agents. Immunohistochemistry was performed with anti-MGMT antibody on 20 paraffinembedded samples from the patients treated with RT in combination with alkylating agents. We found that MGMT-negative group has higher complete remission rates than MGMT-positive group. The results of Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a trend of survival differences between the two groups, but there was no statistical difference. This study suggested MGMT expression in cancer cells serves as an important variable to predict the complete remission in the patients with brain tumor treated with concurrent chemoradiation with alkylating agents. (Cancer Prev Res 14, 212-217, 2009)