@article {MARKULIN363, author = {DORA MARKULIN and ALEKSANDAR VOJTA and IVANA SAMAR{\v Z}IJA and MARIJA GAMULIN and IVONA BE{\v C}EHELI and IRENA JUKI{\'C} and {\v C}EDOMIR MAGLOV and VLATKA ZOLDO{\v S} and ALEKSANDRA FU{\v C}I{\'C}}, title = {Association Between RASSF1A Promoter Methylation and Testicular Germ Cell Tumor: A Meta-analysis and a Cohort Study}, volume = {14}, number = {5}, pages = {363--372}, year = {2017}, publisher = {International Institute of Anticancer Research}, abstract = {Background: The RAS association domain family protein 1a (RASSF1A) is a prominent tumor suppressor gene showing altered promoter methylation in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation might represent an early event in TGCT tumorigenesis. We investigated whether the RASSF1A promoter methylation in peripheral blood of TGCT patients can be associated with testicular cancer risk. Materials and Methods: Following a meta-analysis, we performed a cohort study including 32 testicular cancer patients and 32 healthy controls. Promoter methylation of the RASSF1A and O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) genes was analyzed using bisulfite pyrosequencing of DNA from peripheral blood. Results: Meta-analysis showed an odds ratio (OR) of 7.69 for RASSF1A promoter methylation as a risk factor for TGCT. Cohort study found altered methylation of the RASSF1A promoter in blood of TGCT patients. Methylation was higher in TGCT patients before BEP chemotherapy. Conclusion: The meta-analysis indicates a role of the RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation from peripheral blood in TCGT. We confirmed that finding in our cohort study, which represents the first report of changed RASSF1A promoter methylation in peripheral blood TGCT.}, issn = {1109-6535}, URL = {https://cgp.iiarjournals.org/content/14/5/363}, eprint = {https://cgp.iiarjournals.org/content/14/5/363.full.pdf}, journal = {Cancer Genomics \& Proteomics} }