LACK OF MUTATION IN TUMOR-SUPPRESSOR GENE P53 IN GESTATIONAL TROPHOBLASTIC TUMORS

The objectives of this study were to better our understanding of the c arcinogenesis of gestational trophoblastic rumours and to investigate the possible presence of mutational alteration of the p53 tumour-suppr essor gene in these rumours. Amplification-based direct DNA sequencing was performed on 14 hydatidiform moles, six invasive molest eight cho riocarcinomas and ten normal early placental tissues. No mutation in e xons 5-8 was detected in any of these 38 tissue specimens, These resul ts suggest that a mutation in p53 tumour suppressor either does not ex ist or is a very rare event in gestational trophoblastic tumours. The gestational trophoblastic rumours probably involve a tumour-suppressor gene other than p53 gene or may follow a completely different pathway to their malignant phenotype.