Hypermethylation of the DNA repair gene O⁶-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase and survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Background: The gene encoding the DNA repair enzyme O⁶-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is transcriptionally silenced by promoter hypermethylation in several human cancers, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (B-DLCL). MGMT promoter hypermethylation is a favorable prognostic marker in patients with brain tumors treated with alkylating agents. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, we used methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction to analyze the MGMT promoter methylation status in tumor DNA of B-DLCL patients receiving cyclophosphamide as part of multidrug regimens. Molecular data were compared with patient response with the use of Student's t test. Disease-free survival and overall survival were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the use of the log-rank test. Multivariable survival analyses were performed with the Cox proportional hazards model. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: Thirty (36%) of 84 B-DLCL patients showed MGMT promoter hypermethylation in their lymphomas. The presence of MGMT methylation was associated with a statistically significant increase in overall survival (hazard ratio for time to death for non-methylation versus methylation = 2.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2 to 7.5; P = .01) and progression-free survival (hazard ratio for time to progression for nonmethylation versus methylation = 2.6; 95% CI = 1.3 to 5.8; P = .02). MGMT promoter hypermethylation was both independent of and stronger than established prognostic factors, such as age, disease stage, serum lactic dehydrogenase level, and performance status. Conclusion: MGMT promoter hypermethylation appears to be a useful marker for predicting survival in patients with B-DLCL treated with multidrug regimens including cyclophosphamide.