Undersökning av global epigenetisk metyleringsstatus hos juvertumörer på hund
Mammary tumors are the most frequent type of tumors in bitches in Sweden. Many
studies have been published concerning mammary tumors, but there is still much to
be learned about this disease.
One has, since some time ago, had the knowledge that addition to or removal of
methyl groups to genes can inhibit or activate gene-expression. Methylation and
demethylation is a normal phenomenon in the body and it is essential for the
development and survival of the individual. The risk of developing a tumor disease is
increased if the global methylationstatus is changed; if oncogenes demethylates
(activates) or if tumor suppressor genes methylates (inactivates). In the human
medicine one has seen that there are differences in methylationstatus between
different tumors.
In this study tumor and normal tissue from ten dogs were examined with regard to
methylationstatus. The results showed that there were not clear connections between
the methylationstatus at the normal- or tumor tissue respectively, sometimes the
normal tissue was hypermethylated in comparison to the tumor tissue and sometimes
it was hypomethylated in comparison. The connection that one could see was that the
malignant tumors tended to be hypermethylated in comparison to the benign tumors.