Arsenic-related Bowen's disease and paraquat-related skin cancerous lesions show no detectable ras and p53 gene alterations.
We have investigated point mutations of codons 12, 13, and 61 in H-, K-, and N-ras oncogenes as well as p53 tumour suppressor gene exon 5 through exon 9 by PCR-SSCP analysis in 26 skin biopsy tissues from 16 arsenic-related Bowen's disease patients and 6 skin samples from 4 paraquat manufacturing workers. No mutation was found. These results are different from findings with UV associated skin cancers. Interestingly, a silent change at codon 27 of H-ras in one allele was detected in all 4 paraquat manufacturing workers and in 2 of 16 arsenic-related Bowen's disease patients. It is likely that the molecular mechanisms involved in arsenic and paraquat induced skin cancers differ from sunlight-related skin malignancies.
Department of Public Health, Chang Gung Medical College, Taiwan, R.O.C.
L L
LL
Hsieh
H J
HJ
Chen
J T
JT
Hsieh
S H
SH
Jee
G S
GS
Chen
C J
CJ
Chen
D001151:Arsenic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001706:Biopsy; D001913:Bowen's Disease / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D003062:Codon; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000187:drug effects*; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics*; D010269:Paraquat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
D003062:Codon; D001151:Arsenic; D010269:Paraquat