[The relation between p53 mutations and tumor invasiveness of human hepatocellular carcinoma]

We have combined the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the HaeIII enzyme restriction analysis to study the mutations at codon 249 of p53 gene in L02 human liver cell line, Bel-7402, SMMC-7721 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and 19 surgical specimens of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their surrounding non-cancer liver tissues. None of the three cell lines and the non-cancer liver tissues was found to have p53 mutation; but 10 of 19 HCC samples (52.6%) had p53 point mutations, and the p53 gene mutated more frequently in HCC with incomplete capsule, intrahepatic metastasis, or multiple nodules than in those with well encapsulated (70% vs 33.3%, P < 0.05), no intrahepatic metastasis (71.4% vs 41.6%, P < 0.05) and single nodule (83.3% vs 38.5%, P < 0.05). These suggested that the codon 249 was a mutational hotspot of the p53 gene in human HCC seen in China, and p53 mutations may be related to invasiveness of human HCC.