Variations of p53 in cultured fibroblasts of patients with lung cancer whohave a presumed genetic predisposition

The authors studied cultured skin fibroblasts of 64 patients with lung canc er for constitutive mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene by using pol ymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformation polymorphism covering the entire coding region. The patients were considered to be genetically p redisposed because lung cancer had developed in 25 of them before age 46 an d because 42 of them had at least one first-degree relative with lung cance r. One mutation was detected at position 235 coding for serine instead of a sparagine in the conserved DNA binding domain. The Pro/Pro genotype at codo n 72 of p53, considered to harbor an increased risk for lung cancer, could not be detected with increased frequency in this study's patients. From the se data, the authors conclude that constitutive variations of the p53 gene do not represent a major genetic determinant for lung cancer.