title: K-ras and p53 mutations in human colorectal aberrant crypt foci.
abstract: Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are putative precursor lesions of colon cancer, recently identified on the methylene blue-stained mucosal surface of human colon. No mutations in K-ras or p53 genes were found by non-radioactive single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis in 14 ACF collected from five patients. Using the more sensitive method of allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for K-ras, 8 of 14 ACF were found to contain K-ras mutations, suggesting that mutated cells are present in minute clones in ACF. No dysplasia was observed in any of the ACF containing a mutated clone. The presence of K-ras mutations in ACF suggests that these lesions occur at a very early stage in human colorectal carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Istituti di Anatomia e Istologia Patologica, University of Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Losi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roncucci
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: di Gregorio
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: de Leon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benhattar
mesh_terms: D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016158:Genes, p53; D011905:Genes, ras; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology