Inactivation in the p53 tumor suppressor gene through a point mutation and/or loss of heterozygosity is one of the most frequent genetic changes found in breast cancer, with an incidence reported in a range of 10 to 47%. This high rate of
mutation
suggests that the gene plays an important role int he development of breast cancer.
Based on the detecion of widespread mutations in the p53 gene, mutant p53 gene and its protein product may be potential future targets for tumor-specific diagnostic or therapeutic interventions.
We has used a simplified, rapid, sensitive, and non-radioisotopic single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technique to screen for p53 mutations in Korean female breast cancer.
And then we observed the correlation with p53 protein expression and the clinicopathological significance of p53 gene mutation in breast cancer compared to other well-known clinicopathologic parameters representing the biologic behavior of breast
cancer.
Twenty-six primary breast cancer tissues were ezamined for mutation in exons 5~8 of the p53 gene by PCR-SSCP analysis.
Evidences of the p53 gene mutation were detected in 9(34.6%) of the 26 cases and a total of 12 mutations in the p53 gene were demonstrated in the cases.
Incidences of p53 gene mutation according were 66.7% Stage I, 27.8% in stage II, and 40% in stage III, respectively. p53 protein expression with immunohistochemical staining was observed in 5(20.3%) of the 24 cases, consisted with 4 cases in
mutant
group and 1 case in non mutnat group. p53 mutations were not correlated with clinicopathological parameters to indicate an aggressive biologic behavior of breast cancer, such as advanced staging, young age, high histologic grade, absence of
estrogen
receptor, expression of c-erbB-2, and DNA aneuploidy.
This results suggested that p53 mutation at exon 5 to 8 may be an impotant factor in the deveploment and progression of Korean female breast cancer.
Bur a more extensive study is recommanded to reveal the clinicopathological significance of the mutation and a meaningful correlation with protein expressions in immunohistochemical staining.
|