Selective Loss of MEG3 Expression and Intergenic Differentially Methylated Region Hypermethylation in the MEG3/DLK1 Locus in Human Clinically Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenomas

Abstract

MEG3 is the first human gene identified expressed in multiple normal human pituitary cell types with loss of expression specifically restricted to clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. The IG-DMR hypermethylation may be an additional mechanism for MEG3 gene silencing in such tumors.