title: Detecting K-ras and p53 gene mutation from stool and pancreatic juice for diagnosis of early pancreatic cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore new methods for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer through detection of K-ras and p53 mutations in pancreatic juice and stool.
  
  
  METHODS
  201 patients in PUMC Hospital from 1994 - 2000 and 60 control individuals were enrolled in this study. K-ras point mutation was detected by PCR-RFLP while p53 mutation was detected by PCR-SSCP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  K-ras mutation was found in pancreatic juice in 87.8% (36/41) of pancreatic cancer patients and 23.5% (4/17) of benign pancreatic disease patients. In 261 stool specimens, amplification found mutations successfully in 235 patients (90%). K-ras mutation was found in stool in 88% (66/75) of pancreatic cancer patients, 51.1% (24/47) of benign pancreatic disease patients and 19.6% (9/46) of normal individuals. p53 mutation was found in pancreatic juice in 47.4% (18/38) of pancreatic cancer patients and 12.5% (2/16) of benign pancreatic disease patients. p53 mutation was found in stool in 37.1% (23/62) and 19.1% (4/21) of chronic pancreatitis patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  K-ras mutation in pancreatic juice has higher diagnosis sensitivity and specificity, and therefore may be used as a supplement in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Detection of K-ras mutation combined with p53 mutation in stool can aid in the screening of pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Peking Union Medical Hospital, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Xinghua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jiaming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Xiaoheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D016158:Genes, p53; D011905:Genes, ras; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D010189:Pancreatic Juice / Q000378:metabolism*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational