Study of two common P53 gene mutations in gastric cancer using PCR-RFLP in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province, Iran, 2003

Gastric cancer is the most common cause of cancer death world wide after lung cancer. Genetic factors including oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are always involved in progression of this cancer. The P53 tumor suppressor gene is believed to have a broad role in the cell such as programmed cell death and stop cell replicating damaged DNA which has been summarized as the guardian of the genome. This study aims to determine the frequency of two common P53 gene mutations using PCR-RFLP in gastric cancer in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province.

This descriptive – lab based study describes the mutation analysis of paraffin embedded gastric samples from 38 patients in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province. We have investigated the frequency of P53 gene mutation in exons 7 and 8 by PCR-RFLP to detect alteration in two common hot spots in codon 248 and 282.

We determined no mutation in P53 gene hot spots in codon 248 and 282.

We conclude that association of P53 gene mutations with gastric cancer is very low in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province. However we have examined only 38 gastric samples and more samples need to be investigated to reveal the contribution of P53 gene mutation in causing gastric cancer in this province. Also it is necessary to study the entire coding region and promoter of the gene in patients from different population and ethnic groups.