title: p53 mutations and codon 213 polymorphism of p53 in lung cancers of former uranium miners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a high prevalence of G-->T transversions of p53 in lung cancers of smokers. One study has reported a special "hotspot" mutation at codon 249 of p53 in lung cancers of former uranium miners. The aim of our study was to look for mutational spectra of p53 in former German uranium miners with lung cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated 16 patients with lung cancer who had worked as uranium miners in Germany and 13 lung cancer patients without a mining history of the same region. By means of the polymerase chain reaction and sequencing we looked for mutations in exons 5 7 of the p53 gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We could not find any suggestion of hotspot mutations. The only G-->T mutation in former uranium miners was detected in the only nonsmoker. In 3 patients (19% of the total) we found a codon 213/3 polymorphism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that G-->T transversions do not seem to be very common mutations in p53 in lung cancers probably caused by radiation. Therefore, p53 may be mutated early in lung cancer development if radiation exposure is a critical factor in carcinogenesis. In accordance with studies of thyroid cancer patients in the Chernobyl region, our results may indicate an overrepresentation of codon 213/3 polymorphism in p53 in radiation-caused cancers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene and Occupational Medicine, University of Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Popp
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vahrenholz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiesner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Täuscher
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Plogmann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morgenroth
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Konietzko
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Norpoth
mesh_terms: D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005091:Exons; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008906:Mining; D009154:Mutation; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014501:Uranium / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D017931:DNA Primers; D014501:Uranium