LOSS OF EXPRESSION OF THE P16 GENE IS FREQUENT IN MALIGNANT SKIN TUMORS

Expression of the pie gene from 30 malignant skin tumors has been surv eyed by immunohistochemical assay. Gene point mutations were detected by DNA direct sequencing and the mRNA level of gene expression was mea sured by RT-PCR. A silent point mutation of the pie gene was found in only one patient. However, loss of expression of the pie gene was noti ced in 23 of 29 samples (79.3%). Correlation between loss of expressio n of the pie gene and metastasis is significant (p = 0.0036). These fi ndings suggest that loss of expression of the pie gene may play a crit ical role in tumor progression of malignant skin tumors. (C) 1997 Acad emic Press