TP53 GENE-MUTATIONS IN GASTRIC-CARCINOMA DETECTED BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION SINGLE-STRAND CONFORMATION POLYMORPHISM ANALYSIS OF ARCHIVALMATERIAL

TP53 gene mutations, one of the most common alterations described in h uman tumors, have also been detected in gastric carcinoma, and shown t o occur rather late in disease progression. A better assessment of the prognostic value of TP53 gene mutations can be obtained by examining archival material, as this allows stored cases with well-defined histo ries to be monitored, We performed immunohistochemical and polymerase chain reaction/single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) anal yses of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded material from nine selected c ases of gastric carcinoma at different pathological stages. PCR-SSCP a nalysis of TP53 exons 5-8 detected missense point mutations in two out of five immunostain(PAb1801)-positive tumors, and a deletion (allowin g for a premature stop codon) in one of the remaining four immunostain -negative tumors. Thus, PCR SSCP analysis represents a feasible strate gy for the detection of TP53 alterations in archival material of gastr ic carcinoma cases.