GBM methylation status

I am wondering if anyone understands methylation status.

Does negative status mean methylated and positive status mean unmethylated? 

Perhaps you might also know what IDH1 positive and P53 positive mean? 

All of this is so confusing and very new to me.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

If a patient test "positive" they are methylated.  If they test "negative" they are unmethylated. Methylated patients do much better on Temodar and long term survival is associated with methylated patients.  My husband is methylated and almost 2 years out from surgery with no signs of recurrence.  (GBM) Hope this helps! 

The MGMT gene codes for a protein that repairs some kinds of damage to DNA, including the damage made by Temodar.

Methylation silences the gene--that is, turns it off.  

So, people with methylated MGMT don't fight against the Temodar damage.  In people with unmethylated MGMT, the gene is on, they make the MGMT protein, and so they repair the Temodar damage-- therefore Temodar is less effective in patients with unmethylated MGMT.

On Jul 14, 2012 3:12 PM lucyat24 wrote:

If a patient test "positive" they are methylated.  If they test "negative" they are unmethylated. Methylated patients do much better on Temodar and long term survival is associated with methylated patients.  My husband is methylated and almost 2 years out from surgery with no signs of recurrence.  (GBM) Hope this helps!