TO My Dear Meningimates, (my own affectionate term for All?M patients and their
loved ones)


HAPPY NEW YEAR INDEED MARY, MANY?THANKS FOR SENDING THIS NEW BWH RESEARCH MY WAY

Finally Dr Black's Lab has some relevant meningioma tumor tissue data about the
correlation between progesterone hormone receptors, 22q?and NF2 genes examined
and published.??This is what I have been telling them for the past ten years,
since KK and I noticed several specific tumor associations between NF2 and my
meningioma condition, my left eye iris has always had one of those tiny little
marker nodules for NF2?genes and I and my kids have some of those cafe au lait
skin?(light brown)spots. NF2 genes are also associated with optic nerve gliomas
and with both acoustic neuromas and vestibular schwanommas sometimes located in
dumbell shaped fashion on both sides of the head near the ears.? The NF2genes
are what is called in mathematics, a common denominator for several different
medical conditions.
??
The easily visible genetic connections and obvious correlation is precisely why
the activity of the non-hormonal anti-progesterone compound in mifepristone
(brand name Mifeprex)works so well to stabilize my particular chronic
longterm?recurrent meningioma grade 2 condition.? My surgical tumor tissue
samples were tested in 2000 after my second craniotomy at my direct specific
request to pathology and had very high progesterone receptor levels which has
also been research documented to be a good prognostic indicator which means in
english, it is a good predictor of long term survival and slower tumor growth
patterns, although sadly it doesn't mention that major benefit of high PR
levels?in this research article.
GBYAY? ANNE BREEN
Some meningioma articles and my questions to ask list are mixed in with numerous
RU-486 comments and other helpful information for brain tumor patients and my
life interests here?
http://journals.aol.com/anne91547/anne-mcginnis-breens-articles/

See Mary's email and the newly published BWH research article below

-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Lander <mary.lander@...>
To: Anne Breen <Anne91547@...>
Sent: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 2:10 am
Subject: Latest research on Specific Genes Expressed in Association with
Progesterone Receptors in Meningioma



I've been conservatively saying 60-70% of meningioma are PR+. This latest
research puts it at 84%
Mary

Cancer Research 68, 314-322, January 1, 2008.

Specific Genes Expressed in Association with Progesterone Receptors in
Meningioma

http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/1/314

An association between hormones and meningioma has been postulated. No data
exist that examine gene expression in meningioma by hormone receptor status.
The data are surgical specimens from 31 meningioma patients undergoing
neurosurgical resection at Brigham and Women's Hospital from March 15, 2004
to May 10, 2005. Progesterone and estrogen hormone receptors (PR and ER,
respectively) were measured via immunohistochemistry and compared with gene
expression profiling results. The sample is 77% female with a mean age of
55.7 years. Eighty percent were grade 1 and the mean MIB was 6.2, whereas
33% and 84% were ER+ and PR+, respectively. Gene expression seemed more
strongly associated with PR status than with ER status. Genes on the long
arm of chromosome 22 and near the neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) gene
(22q12) were most frequently noted to have expression variation, with
significant up-regulation in PR+ versus PR- lesions, suggesting a higher
rate of 22q loss in PR- lesions. Pathway analyses indicated that genes in
collagen and extracellular matrix pathways were most likely to be
differentially expressed by PR status. These data, although preliminary, are
the first to examine gene expression for meningioma cases by hormone
receptor status and indicate a stronger association with PR than with ER
status. PR status is related to the expression of genes near the NF2 gene,
mutations in which have been identified as the initial event in many
meningiomas. These findings suggest that PR status may be a clinical marker
for genetic subgroups of meningioma and warrant further examination in a
larger data set. [Cancer Res 2008;68(1):314-22]


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