title: Mutations of the p53 gene in oral squamous-cell carcinomas from Sudanese dippers of nitrosamine-rich toombak and non-snuff-dippers from the Sudan and Scandinavia.
abstract: Using PCR-SSCP/DNA sequencing methods, we analyzed 14 oral squamous-cell carcinomas (OSCCs) and 8 pre-malignant oral lesions from different Sudanese patients for prevalence of mutations in exons 5 to 9 of the p53 gene in relation to toombak-dipping status. OSCCs (14 from Sudan, 28 from Scandinavia), and 3 pre-malignant oral lesions from Sudanese non-dippers were used as controls. A statistically significant increased incidence in mutations of the p53 gene was found in OSCCs from toombak dippers (93%; 13/14), as compared with those from non-dippers in Sudan (57%; 8/14) and in Scandinavia (61%; 17/28) respectively. In OSCCs from dippers, mutations were found in exons 5 to 9, while in those from non-dippers they were found in exons 5, 7, 8, 9, and no mutations were found in exon 8 in any of the OSCCs from Sudan. Certain types of mutations, however, were similar with respect to exposure to toombak. OSCCs from dippers showed 15 transversions, 9 transitions, 3 insertions and one deletion, compared with 7 transversions, 2 transitions and one deletion found in OSCCs from Sudanese non-dippers, and 9 transversions, 17 transitions and 2 insertions found in those from non-dippers in Scandinavia. No mutations were found in any of the non-malignant oral lesions in relation to dipping or non-dipping status. These findings suggest that (i) the use of toombak plays a significant role in induction of increased p53 gene mutations, (ii) mutations observed were similar to those induced by tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs) in experimental animal models and those already reported in toombak dippers, (iii) types of mutations associated with TSNAs were similar in the exposed and the control groups, (iv) a novel mutation in exon 6 was found in the OSCCs from toombak dippers, (v) the p53 exons 5 (codon 130), 6 (codons 190, 216) and 7 (codons 229, 249, 252) mutations are probable hot spots for toombak-related OSCCs. Further studies are necessary to validate the increased incidence and exon locations of the p53-gene mutations as a biomarker of malignant transformation in populations in which the oral use of tobacco is habitual.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Norway. Sosman@gades.uib.no
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Vasstrand
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Johannessen
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Idris
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nilsen
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lillehaug
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics; D018388:Codon, Terminator; D016368:Frameshift Mutation; D016158:Genes, p53; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013397:Sudan; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D018388:Codon, Terminator; D009602:Nitrosamines; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53