FREQUENCY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF P53 MUTATIONS IN PRIMARY AND METASTATIC HUMAN PROSTATE-CANCER

We have studied the frequency of mutations in the p53 gene in human pr ostate cancer. The investigated material consisted of 20 primary-tumor tissue specimens, obtained by transurethral resection and tissue spec imens of 15 lymph-node metastases, obtained at total prostatectomy. Th e applied methods encompassed immunohistochemistry on frozen sections, using the monoclonal antibody PAb 1801, and single-strand conformatio n polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, after amplification of single exon seq uences by PCR, on exons 5 to 8 of the p53 gene. The mutations, leading to aberrantly migrating bands in the PCR-SSCP analysis, were identifi ed by direct sequencing of the PCR product. Immunohistochemical and PC R-SSCP analysis were completely confirmative. In the primary tumors, m utations were found in 10% of the specimens (codons 232 and 273), and in lymph-node metastases in 15% of the specimens (codons 248 and 273). In one case (codon 273), the same mutation was found both in the prim ary tumor and in the lymph-node metastasis. Our results show that p53 mutations are infrequent in both primary and metastatic prostate tumor s. In addition, they indicate that there is no strict correlation betw een p53 mutation and tumor metastasis. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.