[Detection of p53 gene mutation in paraffin-embedded asbestos-related lung cancer tissue]

Paraffin-embedded asbestos-related lung cancer tissue of ten cases was analyzed with polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) to study its genetic mutation of exon 5, 7 and 8 of anti-oncogene p53 by silver stain. Results showed that fragment of exon 7 or 8 of p53 gene in four cases was positive in silver-staining analysis of PCR-SSCP. Exon 7 or 8 fragments of p53 gene was detected positive for mutation in seven of these ten cases with autoradiographic analysis of PCR-SSCP. No exon 5 fragment was found positive for mutation in these ten cases with both methods. Agreement between results of silver staining and those of autoradiographic PCR-SSCP was 60%. Hence, autoradiographic method could be replaced by silver staining, a simpler and more sensitive one, in PCR-SSCP to study gene mutation of asbestosrelated lung cancer.