Role of DNA Methylation Profile in Diagnosing Astroblastoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

Astroblastoma is a rare tumor of the central nervous system (CNS) with uncertain clinical behavior. Recently, DNA methylation profiling has been shown to provide a highly robust and reproducible approach for the classification of all CNS tumors across different age groups. By using DNA methylation p...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Giuseppe Petruzzellis, Iside Alessi, Giovanna Stefania Colafati, Francesca Diomedi-Camassei, Andrea Ciolfi, Lucia Pedace, Antonella Cacchione, Andrea Carai, Marco Tartaglia, Angela Mastronuzzi, Evelina Miele
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Genetics
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fgene.2019.00391/full
Description
Summary:Astroblastoma is a rare tumor of the central nervous system (CNS) with uncertain clinical behavior. Recently, DNA methylation profiling has been shown to provide a highly robust and reproducible approach for the classification of all CNS tumors across different age groups. By using DNA methylation profiling, a subset of CNS high-grade tumors with astroblastoma-like morphology characterized by the meningioma 1 gene (MN1) rearrangements, has been identified; they were termed “CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumors with MN1 alteration” (CNS-HGNET-MN1). Here, we describe a case of CNS-HGNET-MN1 diagnosed by DNA methylation profiling, using Illumina Infinium HumanMethylationEPIC BeadChip (EPIC), that offers the opportunity to conduct a brief literature review. The patient presented with an episode of partial seizures involving the right hemisoma. A gross total resection was performed. No other treatment was proposed in light of the histological and molecular findings. After 21 months, the patient is disease-free in good clinical conditions. Also in view of this case, we recommend DNA-methylation profiling as an important tool for diagnosis and more effective patient stratification and management.
ISSN:1664-8021