ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the significance and the role of the p53 gene mutation in the exon 4 to 8 in keloid fibroblasts.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Tissue samples from twelve patients with keloid and twelve hyperplastic scar respectively were harvested for in vitro culture of fibroblasts, and normal skin samples from the same patients were employed as the control. Polymerase chain reaction-based single-strained conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing were employed to detect p53 gene mutations of the fibroblasts.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The points and frameshift mutations in the exon 4, 5, 6, 7 of p53 gene were identified in 9 of the 12 keloid tissue samples. No p53 gene mutation was detected in all hyperplastic scar and normal skin samples.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>p53 gene mutation might play an important role in the formation and development of keloids.</p>