title: Molecular biology studies on mesothelioma tumor samples: preliminary data on H-ras, p21, and SV40.
abstract: The ras gene is one of the oncogenes most commonly detected in human cancers; this protooncogene is converted to active oncogene by point mutations occurring at either codon 12, 13, or 61. SV40 is a DNA-transforming simian virus, a 105 bp sequence of which has been shown recently to be present in a significant fraction of human mesothelioma cells. Eleven human malignant mesotheliomas were examined for H-ras gene mutations at codon 12, 13, and 61 and for the presence of SV40-like sequences. DNA prepared from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue was amplified by means of PCR and analyzed using designed restriction fragment length polymorphism. No mutation with respect to H-ras was found in any tumor sample, but the majority of mesothelioma cells contained SV40-like sequences.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral