TY - JOUR T1 - Association Between <em>RASSF1A</em> Promoter Methylation and Testicular Germ Cell Tumor: A Meta-analysis and a Cohort Study JF - Cancer Genomics - Proteomics JO - Cancer Genomics Proteomics SP - 363 LP - 372 VL - 14 IS - 5 AU - DORA MARKULIN AU - ALEKSANDAR VOJTA AU - IVANA SAMARŽIJA AU - MARIJA GAMULIN AU - IVONA BEČEHELI AU - IRENA JUKIĆ AU - ČEDOMIR MAGLOV AU - VLATKA ZOLDOŠ AU - ALEKSANDRA FUČIĆ Y1 - 2017/09/01 UR - http://cgp.iiarjournals.org/content/14/5/363.abstract N2 - 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. ER -