title: p53 mutations implicate sunlight in post-transplant skin cancer irrespective of human papillomavirus status.
abstract: Mutations in p53 were detected in 11/23 (48%) of non melanoma skin cancers in renal allograft recipients and in 5/8 (63%) of sporadic tumours from immune competent patients. 9/12 (75%) of mutations in transplant patients and all 5 mutations in non transplant tumours were consistent with damage caused by ultraviolet (u.v.) irradiation. DNA sequences, predominantly of the epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) subgroup, were detected in 9/23 (39%) of transplant tumours and in 2/8 (25%) of eight non-transplant tumours. There was no relationship between HPV status and p53 mutation, HPV DNA being present in 5/16 (31%) of tumours with p53 mutation and 6/15 (40%) of tumours lacking p53 mutation. These data are consistent with an important role for sunlight in the development of post-transplant skin cancer, and with limited functional data suggesting that E6 proteins of the cutaneous and EV-related papillomaviruses do not target p53 for ubiquitin-mediated degradation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Photobiology, St John's Institute of Dermatology, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McGregor
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Berkhout
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rozycka
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: ter Schegget
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bouwes Bavinck
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Crook
mesh_terms: D004249:DNA Damage / Q000528:radiation effects; D016158:Genes, p53; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D009154:Mutation; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000235:genetics*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D013472:Sunlight