[A study of p53 gene mutations in squamous cell carcinoma in eyes]

To inquire into the molecular biological mechanisms of the occurrence of squamous cell carcinoma in eyes.

Using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, we detected 63 samples taken from 63 cases (including 36 invasive squamous carcinoma, 7 carcinoma in situ, 20 papillomas) for 248 point mutations in p53 gene.

22.2% (8/36) squamous cell carcinomas, 14.3% (1/7) carcinomas in situ were shown to contain the point mutation in codon 248 of p53 gene exon 7 and no point mutation was found in papillomas, the difference being significant (P = 0.021). No point mutation was in patients over 70, while in patients younger than 70, the mutation rate was 33.3%, the difference being significant (P = 0.24). No significant correlation was found between p53 gene mutations and clinical pathological manifestations (P > 0.05).

p53 gene mutations play roles in the early stage of the development of squamous cell carcinomas, and there is no correlation between p53 gene mutations and clinical manifestations. The mutation in p53 gene is not the main cause of neoplasms in the elder persons after the seventh decade of life.