title: Increased prevalence of K-ras oncogene mutations in lung adenocarcinoma.
abstract: Reported estimates of ras mutation prevalence in lung adenocarcinoma of 15-24% may be underestimates because of the insensitivity of the assays used. We have devised a rapid, non-radioactive assay for ras mutations, which detects 1 mutant allele/10(3) normal alleles and have used it to study DNA isolated from 53 lung tumor samples (including 28 adenocarcinomas) previously analyzed by PCR/allele specific oligonucleotide hybridization, which is less sensitive. We detected mutations in 13 of 28 samples, including 7 not detected by PCR/allele specific oligonucleotide hybridization. We also found ras mutations in 14 of 25 previously unstudied samples (56%). Our results indicate that the prevalence of K-ras codon 12 mutations in lung adenocarcinoma is higher than previously reported; thus, ras mutations may be more clinically useful as molecular markers for lung cancer than has been appreciated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Fishman
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Rom
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dubin
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Jacobson
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm