P53 tumor suppressor gene evaluation in ovarian cancer by DGGE based mutation scanning

ABSTRACT

Ovarian cancer remains the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancy in western countries. This cancer results from a succession of genetic alterations involving oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, which have a critical role in normal cell growth regulations. Forty-nine patients were studied for p53 mutations detection using combination of PCR amplification and DGGE which allows comprehensive mutation scanning for exons [5-8], mutation were confirmed by DNA gene sequencing. From 49 cases 5 cases showed mutation [10.2%] 3 mutations were detected in exon 6, one in exon 8, one in exon 5 [3] and all were point mutations. Of total mutations detected four were serous adenocarcinoma [4/24] [16.7%] and one was undifferentiated carcinoma. Detection of gene mutations by DGGE has proved to be a very accurate strategy