ABERRATIONS OF THE TUMOR-SUPPRESSOR P53 GENE AND P53 PROTEIN IN SOLARKERATOSIS IN HUMAN SKIN

Aberrations of the p53 gene in 27 solar keratoses were examined by the polymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformation polymorphism and DNA sequencing analyses. In a series of Japanese patients, eight of 27 cases (30%) of solar keratosis showed structural abnormalities o f the p53 gene. Six of eight aberrations of p53 gene were determined t o be single nucleotide substitutions, and five of these were located a t a dipyrimidine site. In solar keratosis, noticeable mutations were C to T in three cases, and one each of C to A and T to C nucleotide cha nges. p53 protein was detected immunohistochemically in the nuclei of six of 27 cases (22%) of solar keratosis. Nuclear staining for p53 pro tein was only significantly correlated with the presence of missense m utation of p53 gene (p < 0.01). Aberrations of the p53 gene in solar k eratosis may be a marker to predict early cancerous lesions.