Molecular analysis of CDKN2 (p16) in gliomas associated with clinical data

We analyzed alterations in CDKN2 in gliomas from an ethically mixed populat ion and correlated the results with patients clinical data. We screened for methylation at CDKN2 and for microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the region 9p21-22 using 4 markers. We found: 3/30 (10%) cases with CDKN2-methylated gliomas; an average of 4% of MSI; and 24. 5% of LOH in the region 9p21-22. Methylation of CDKN2 was only detected in patients showing high-grade gliomas with short survival. MSI and LOH in the region 9p2l-22 were detected in patients showing high-grade gliomas with s hort survival and in one patient with a recurrent low-grade astrocytoma gra de II who died from the disease after 3 years, indicating that such alterat ions represent poor prognosis.