EVALUATION OF P53 MUTATION IN PANCREATIC ACINAR CELL CARCINOMAS OF HUMANS AND TRANSGENIC MICE

Mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene is found in a large number o f exocrine pancreatic tumors. The majority of these tumors is of the d uctal cell phenotype. We examined 12 human acinar cell carcinomas and 42 transgenic mouse carcinomas (including 36 acinar cell tumors, four islet cell tumors, and two liver metastases of primary acinar cell tum ors) for evidence of p53 mutation. Immunohistochemistry was used to id entify p53 protein in tumor sections. To evaluate p53 exons 5-8, heter oduplex analysis was used on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human t umor DNA, and single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis was use d on frozen mouse tumor DNA. No molecular evidence of p53 mutation was found in any of the tumor DNAs and immunohistochemical data were rega rded as negative. This study provides evidence that acinar cell carcin ogenesis in both humans and transgenic mice is independent of p53 muta tion.